Origins
by Darkside524
Summary: During Buffy's fifth year in Sunnydale a mysterious young man from another world appears. Armed with knowledge of Buffy's future and the power of Darkness he decides to try and help the scoobies any way he can. But can he overcome Glory, The First Evil and his own growing Darkness?
1. Where, when and why?

Author's note : This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic (or anything for that matter) so please be kind. Technically this is an origin story for a pre-existing Kingdom Hearts character that I feel has been largely overlooked. Bonus points if you can spot the various pop culture references.

Disclaimer : everything Buffy related belongs to Joss Whendon and Mutant Enemy. All thing Kingdom Hearts related belong to Squire Enix and Nomura. The story itself is mine.  
This was written for fun, not profit.

* * *

It's not always the big events that have a big impact on a world and how its destiny is shaped. Often it's the small things that go unobserved. A chance meeting, a careless oversight, someone walking down the right dark alley at the right time.

In this case the event happened on the road to town. One second all was normal and right, then there was a tall oval black hole off to one side of the main road. Out of the swirling black stumbled a young man with spiky black hair. Dazed and confused at first it took him a moment to adjust to his new surroundings, then he saw the sign. It wasn't possible but it was really happening to him, he laughed, whatever would happen from here on in nothing would be the same again. Gathering his thoughts and walking at a brisk pace towards the city in front of him, still smiling disbelievingly at the sign he had just passed.

_Welcome to Sunnydale_

The journey in to Sunnydale had taken longer than he had expected, the sun was already low in the sky, but at last he was here, "THE Sunnydale". Completely impossible and yet it was happening, he thought for the millionth time. He looked at his own reflection in a store front window, he was still (as far as he could tell) himself, same spiky black hair, same black leather jacket with matching trousers and shirt, same pale skin. Then he noticed. His eyes had changed. Before going through the portal or door or whatever it was, his iris had been a deep brown colour, now they were an unnaturally luminesant shade of dark yellow. Odd certainly but not too distressing. Suddenly he caught sight of someone in the reflection behind him, a tall blonde someone. Glory.

He remembered Glory. She was a former hell god who used to run with two other deities until she got too powerful and the other two goddesses kicked her out into the human realm. She was as insane as she was powerful and she was completely merciless.

He stared right at her, it was definatly Glory no question, well that told him roughly when he was timeline wise. This revelation was followed by fear on realizing that Glory was now staring back at him. He tried to act casual and walk away but it was too late. Before he could turn around Glory was in front of him.

"Hi there" she said in a fake friendly tone.

"I take it you know who I am"

The boy nodded.

"Good, I guess that means you're friendly with those irritating monks. So you probably know where they hid MY KEY!"

"Key? I don't know what you're..."

Then he remembered, Dawn.

"Oh well" said Glory, looking slightly crestfallen "looks like I'll have to do this the hard way"

Before the boy could do anything Glory had grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

"Let go of me you loony spice girls reject!" he spat out while trying to punch her. A black wispy aura enveloped his left arm and when his fist made contact with Glory it sent her flying away and crashing through the shop front. The boy looked at his hand for a moment stunned by what he had just done. He looked into the store to see a clearly hurt Glory pulling herself back up.

"P.S." he yelled at her "your hips are wobbly!" then he ran off as fast as he could only stopping when he was sure Glory was not after him.

He cautiously made his way into a dilapidated looking building, confident he was alone he checked his arm. The wispy black aura had gone, how had he done that, could he have imagined it? Putting Glory through a wall was certainly no delusion. He gave his arm a shake to see if he could bring the aura back but to no avail. He gave up after five or so tries and turned to leave, walking straight into Jenny.

"Who are you" Jenny demanded

"What...that's not...your dead by now?!" The boy blurted out, backing away from the woman who couldn't be alive. "You were killed years ago by Angelus...are...are you some kind of ghost"?

Jenny smiled at him almost pityingly "I'm everywhere, in every thought, every drop of hate. I was here before everything and I will be here after everything"

The boy remembered those words before and he realized what he was talking to.

"You're the First" he said "the first evil"

"So you have heard of me, then you probably know it's in your best interest to answer my question, WHO ARE YOU!?"

The boy searched through his memories for anything about the First.

"This thing" he thought to himself "Is made up of the evil in everyone on THIS world. I'm not from this world, it doesn't know anything about me and I'm guessing it doesn't know anything about the other worlds out there either. Best keep it that way".

"And what will you do if I don't tell you hmmmm?"

"What?" snarled the First, which was not used to being defied or not knowing every tiny detail about someone. Bolstered by a newfound confidence the boy advanced on the First.

"Oh I know all about you First, well all the important bits anyway." the boy retorted, watching as the Firsts expression became ever more murderous. "You can't interact with the physical world, the worst you can do is throw some bad language at me. You're a joke, you think you know everything thats out there but clearly you only see what's in your own tiny bubble like everyone else. You act scary but you're just a big impotent gas bag."

The First made a low, bestial growling sound at him.

"Really honey" the boy said in a mocking tone "Growling, is that the best you can do? Because if you want to try and intimidate me you are going to have to do a lot better than..."

The image of Jenny melted away to be replaced with that of a large bestial daemon. It gave a loud roar then faded away, then he heard Jenny's disembodied voice distorted with rage.

"Insolent brat, you'll be dead by morning"

Then silence. The boy looked around for any sign of the first.

"OK" he admitted "That kind of freaked me out"

"Ok, I'm the one who won here, I didn't tell that thing anything, didn't even tell it my name"

Then he realized

"My name...my name is...is"

He panicked searching his memories but they all came up blank

"What's...what's my name?...my name is?..."


	2. Close encounters of The First kind

Buffy's mind wasn't completely focused on patrol that night, she was still reeling from all that had happened over the past few weeks. First her mother, in many ways the supporting pillar of her life, developed a mysterious illness. Then she finds out that her sister Dawn is not only secretly a mystical artifact called the Key capable of bringing about the apocalypse but she never existed until the beginning of this year and all her memories of her sister before then were fakes. The final and most recent blow to her life was when her lover Riley Finn left Sunnydale for good. She still went over the events leading up to that disaster in her mind wondering if she could have done things differently. It was because she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the boy sitting atop the tomb entrance until she had walked right past him. Looking back at him she realized he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to have noticed her either.

"Hey" she called. This caused the boy to jump and fall off the tomb and land face down on the ground. He quickly jumped back up and spun round to face her, fists raised for a fight.

"I was going to say sorry" she said, bemused "but if you're going to be like THAT"

"Buffy?" he said

This surprised Buffy as, while she was famous in the mystical world she wasn't all that well known in the human world. She studied the boy more closely now, he looked human enough, black clothes and black spiky hair, then she noticed his eyes and their unnatural yellow glow.

"So" she said, now convinced she was dealing with some kind of daemon "what kind of hell dimension did you crawl out of?"

"Go away" he said bluntly "just...just leave me alone, I have enough problems right now"

"Honey, your problems are about to get a whole lot worse" said Buffy, drawing a stake from her sleeve.

"Don't you have a Key to protect" the boy blurted out

This made Buffy pause "What do you know about the key?" she asked, now worried for Dawns safety

"Um... well I"

"Do you work for Glory?"

"I know the Keys your sister"

Buffy lashed out at him then everything went black.

"I know the keys your sister" turned out to be the wrong thing to say. The nameless boy had hoped the information would shock Buffy into listening to him but instead she attacked him. The boy threw up his arms in a defense then waited for what seemed an age. Nothing happened. He looked up to see a barrier made up of translucent hexagons in a sphere all around him. Buffy's stake had struck one of the hexagons and she now seemed unable to get it out.

"Now" said the boy, "can we talk about this like civilized..." then the barrier exploded.

Buffy was thrown back and her head struck the side of the tomb entrance breaking the stone. The boy rushed over to where she was, hoping he hadn't just killed the only person in this world who could help him. He checked that Buffy was still breathing and to his relief found that she was still alive.

Something snapped behind him. He spun round and then he saw them, figures wearing black robes with symbols carved into the places where their eyes should have been. The Harbingers, the First Evils minions. There were five of them, three with swords, one with a nasty looking double headed axe and one with a flail.

"Well, she did say I would be dead by morning"

He held up his hands at the approaching harbingers.

"Look, can't we talk about this?" then he noticed the black aura coiling around his fingers, spreading from his hands to the rest of his body.

"On second thoughts" he said; face breaking into a devilish smile "let's skip to the part where I kick your ARESES"!

The boy changed the Harbingers crashing into two of the ones with swords, knocking them out. He knelt down and took one of their swords and brought it up just in time to block an attack by the Harbinger with the flail. The flail wrapped itself round the sword becoming stuck, the boy threw the sword away which took the flail with it leaving the harbinger defenseless. The boy brought up an uppercut into the Harbingers jaw causing him to flip in the air then land face down. There were only two enemies left standing now. The third harbinger swung his axe at the boy trying to take his head off, the boy ducked and rolled forward, punching the harbinger in the gut, causing him to double over. The boy then finished the harbinger off by ramming his elbow into his enemies left temple. One left, but where was he? The boy didn't have to look far; the final assassin was standing over Buffy, preparing to drive its sword into her stomach.

"Get away from her!" as the boy yelled he brought his arm swinging round, a ball of corsating black energy materialized in his hand and flew towards the harbinger, striking him in the chest. The harbinger's expression looked confused for a moment, then he collapsed to the ground. Black wisp like smoke drifted up from the harbinger's body, then he vanished as the darkness consumed him. The boy looked at his hand and the fading dark aura, "I really need to learn how to control this thing" he thought.

He stared at the spot where the harbinger had vanished. "Keep calm" he thought, trying to rationalize what he had just done "whatever the harbingers used to be, if they were ever human at all, is long gone. Their just soulless killers working for the First. Besides it was them or Buffy"

The boy checked that there were no more of the Firsts assassins in the grave yard then he walked over to where Buffy lay unconscious. Great, since arriving in this world he'd managed to make an enemy of Glory, The First and now the slayer. He decided to take Buffy back to her home and when she woke up he could try and patch things up. He picked Buffy up, put her over his shoulder and started walking out of the cemetery, then he realized he had no idea where Buffy's house actually was.

"Aww crap" he muttered to no-one in particular.

The journey to Buffy's house had taken about two hours in total and even when the nameless boy did eventually find the house it was more down to luck than anything else. Still the trip had given him time to think things over. How could he have forgotten his own name? Could Glory have brain drained him? No she needed to put her fingers in your head for that and he had thrown her off before she had a chance, and even if she hand brain sucked him he would be yelling at bins and howling at the moon by now. The First? No it didn't have that kind of power, as far as he knew.

"What if it's this new power I've got" he thought to himself "What if its making me stronger at the price of who I'm?" He forced this unpleasant thought away and tried to occupy his mind with other problems like how to survive both Glory and The First. He needed Buffy on his side, there was no way he could fight all three of them. When she woke up he could try and explain things and maybe she wouldn't kill him for what happened in the cemetery.

Arriving at the Summers residence he noticed that there were no lights on. Believing that this ment no one was home he decided to let himself in by kicking the front door down.

"I think I might be starting to get the hang of these powers" he proclaimed triumphantly. He laid Buffy down on the sofa and went into the kitchen for some snacks, he hadn't eaten for hours and he was starving. He was half way through a packet of cookies when there was a loud metal clang. The boy fell down to the floor dazed, someone had snuck up behind him and hit him on the head. But who? He looked up to see Dawn Summers standing over him holding a frying pan.

"Isn't it past your bed time?" said the boy sarcastically. Dawn brought down the frying pan again, knocking the boy out cold.


	3. Truth and reconciliation

"He knocked YOU out?" asked Xander for the tenth time.

"Yes" Buffy replied, both annoyed and embarrassed "he put up some kind of shield that exploded when I hit it."

Dawn had been woken in the night by a loud crashing sound at the door. Her mother, Joyce was still asleep thanks to all the meds from her time in hospital. She'd gone downstairs and found her sister out cold on the couch and a stranger going through their kitchen. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. So Dawn had armed herself with the first weapon she'd laid eyes on and swung as hard as she could.

When Buffy had woken up she had been greeted to the sight of Dawn holding a frying pan standing watch over her unknown attacker. After telling Dawn off for putting her life in danger she had brought the unconscious daemon to the magic box to find out what it was and how it knew about the key.

"You could have gotten yourself killed Danwie" said Buffy, yet again chastising her sister's irresponsibility.

"Hey I can handle myself Buffy I don't need you looking over my shoulder every minute of every day." Dawn retorted

Willow and Tara chose that moment to walk into the back room where the Scoobies were keeping their captive tied to a chair.

"We've checked every book Buffy and there's a lot of barrier spells that explode when struck but they have to be...y'know invoked by words. Are you sure they he didn't say anything before the shield came up?" Willow asked.

"No, he just lifted his arms and then boom."

"New question" Xander put in "is he working for Glory, I mean he does know about the key she's after so maybe he's found it"

It was now Tara's turn to speculate "That doesn't make sense, Buffy found him just sitting in the grave yard, if he does work for Glory and he knows where the key is then he should have been running to tell her."

"Maybe he's just not very loyal" said Anya

"Anya, all of Glory's minions that we have encountered thus far have been fanatically loyal to her" countered Giles, shooting down Anya's theory.

Anya was about to retort when there was a groan for the boy.

"Let's ask him ourselves" said Buffy

"Oww. Someone get the license number of that truck?" groaned the boy.

"Hello, remember me" asked Buffy, sarcastically

"You're hard to forget honey"

"Do you work for Glory?" asked Anya, blunt as ever.

"Short answer no, long answer noooooooooooooooo" The boy looked about at his surroundings. "Xander" he said.

"Yes?" Xander replied, looking confused.

"No it's just, you're THE Xander Harris" the boy said, unable to contain his enthusiasm. This wasn't quite the reaction the scoobies were expecting.

"And you, your Willow Rosenberg" said the boy, turning to Willow "now you're just amazing, both the brains and the heart of the Scoobies and a talented witch to boot."

"Well yes...yes I am" said Willow, looking both confused and chipper at being complemented.

The boy looked at the rest of the Scoobies, "Rupert Giles, watcher extraordinaire. You taught Buffy almost everything she knows about being a slayer." It was now Gile's turn to look embarrassed at being complimented by the Glory minion. Possible Glory minion, thought Giles, amending his own thoughts. "Anya, former vengeance daemon and currently Xander's girlfriend. Makes noises like a chipmunk when she gets really excited." That earned him a slap on the head from Xander and a kick in the leg from Anya. "Dawn, Buffy's younger sister. Full of potential this one. Drop dead gorgeous and all." Dawn blushed slightly, while Buffy gave the boy the mother of all death glares. Unnerved he continued. "And Tara Mclay, Williow's girlfriend and...and" his expression suddenly changed as he remembered Tara's impending death, they all noticed his shift in attitude.

"You'll barely be twenty when..."

"When what?" asked Tara nervously, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Nothing" said the boy but they could all tell he was lying. "How much do you know about Glory?" he asked suddenly.

"Not much and if you really don't work for her then we'll be grateful for any information you have."Giles answered

"Untie me and I'll tell you everything I know."

"Hang on" Buffy cut in "untying him is not a good idea, we still aren't sure if he works for Glory or not plus he nearly killed me only a few hours ago."

"First off honey YOU attacked ME, I protected myself. Second I had no idea I could put up a shield or that it would explode. Third I had plenty of opportunity to kill you while you were out cold, if I wanted to hurt you or your friends I would have done so by now."

Buffy chewed over this for a minute then conceded. "Alright if your info is good we'll untie you but you're on a short leash"

"Oh goodie, I look forward to the day when I get upgraded to the long leash."

"Do you want me to get a leash?" asked Anya

"No Anya!" said both Buffy and the boy in perfect unison.

"Great minds..." said the boy

"Don't push it." replied Buffy

"Can we get to the point" said a now very frustrated Giles "what do you know about Glory's objectives, better yet what type of daemon is she!?"

"Ahh..." said the boy "You haven't been told by the council yet, that narrows it down"

"What?" said Buffy, already taking a disliking to the boy.

"Nothing...Errr, there's no easy way to tell you this so I'll just say it. Glory's not a daemon... she's a god."

Everyone went silent as the full meaning of what he said sunk in.

"Oh" was all Buffy could say.

"Er, people." said the boy, interrupting the silence. "I know this is quite the bombshell. But if you don't mind. I'd rather not spend the rest of the year TIED TO THIS DAMN CHAIR!"

Not long after the entire group had relocated to the front of the Magic Box where the scoobies were listening to the boy's account of Glory's origins.

"Glory used to be part of a trio along with two other hell gods, they had an entire hell dimension all to themselves where they could do pretty much whatever they wanted. That is until Glory got too powerful and the other two goddesses decided to get rid of her while they still could. There was a battle, the two goddesses won and they kicked Glory out to this dimension."

"Question" interrupted Xander "If Glory is a god what kind of powers does she have? We know she as super strength and speed but what about other god stuff like hurling lightning bolts?"

"Getting trapped here has cost her most of her powers, she still has strength, invulnerability, speed and one other power"

"What, what other power?" now it was Dawn who spoke up

"I might tell you if I stop getting interrupted" the boy answered, more than a little annoyed.

"Good. Another problem of being outside of her hell dimension is that Glory's mind has become unstable, in order to keep herself sane she needs to absorb the sanity of living, sentient beings."

Buffy's eyes widened "So all these crazy people we've been seeing are..."

"Glory's victims, yes" the boy finished her sentence for her.

"What about the key, where does that come in?" asked Dawn

"The key, if I remember right, is a type of energy that resonates with the walls keeping hell out of earth. If Glory gets her hands on the key she'll use it to bring those walls down and get back to her own hell"

"That's it" said Buffy incredulously "that's Glory's big plan, to go home"

"Buffy if those walls go down every hell out there will start merging with earth causing the suffering and deaths of millions or even billions of people, it will be literally hell on earth."

Everyone went silent for the second time, all imagining their world being destroyed by the forces of hell.

"So why don't we just find and destroy the Key?" ironically it was Dawn who asked this question.

"A year ago that was do-able. Now though the key is human. Living a normal human life unaware of their true nature. Don't you think they deserve a chance at a happy normal life?" The boy didn't stop looking at Dawn the whole time he was talking. She seemed to think over this news about the key being a person then she nodded in agreement.

"So what kind of daemon are you?" asked Anya

"Wait what?" this had caught the boy slightly off guard

"Well" Anya continued "your obviously not human, you're eyes are funny and you know too much."

"I'm perfectly human, I just have a little something extra now" he raised his hand, black whips of darkness curling round his arm as he spoke

"Ok that's a little creepy" commented Xander

"Were you born with these powers or did you acquire them somehow?" asked Giles

"Bit of both, I think it was always there, and I think it's inside everyone" the boy replied

"If everyone can use this stuff, this darkness, how come we haven't seen it before?" asked Tara

"Not everyone had the same experience I had."

"What happened, how did you get all superpowery?" asked Willow

"Ok, I'll start from the beginning. One day I was walking home from work when I saw this guy wearing a black hood, he looked strange like he didn't quite fit with...well anything so I followed him. For a while nothing happened then this black portal-thing opened up in front of him and he disappeared into it. I thought it was too weird for words at the time but I was absolutely fascinated so I followed him through. Had to make a run for it to stop it from closing on me."

"So you just ran into the scary looking portal, not knowing where it would lead?" said Buffy with more than a slight condescending tone.

"Yeah well I was curious and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway once I went through the door, or whatever it was, there was all this wispy darkness-stuff all around me. It felt like it was trying to, I don't know, force its way into me, but that's not the weird thing"

"What could be more weird than that?" asked Xander

"It felt good, the darkness felt good." replied the boy, nervously

"I stumbled through the stuff until I fell out of it, when I looked up I was just outside Sunnydale. A short while later I found out about these powers and some other side effects" he said indicating his bright yellow eyes.

"You haven't told us your name" said Anya

Buffy hadn't realized until then that the boy had never told them his name and she felt slightly guilty for not asking.

"Ah...that's the other side effect of these powers. It seems that while darkness can give you unlimited power the price is a part of you. Its taking my memories, I haven't told you my name or where I'm from because I can't remember." This was mostly true, while he couldn't remember where he was from exactly he did remember that he was from another world almost identical to Buffy's without the daemon dimensions added on. He also remembered how he knew about Buffy in the first place which made this whole experience all the more weird.

"Maybe different worlds can affect each other and cause their stories to appear in other worlds" he thought to himself

"So you have no memories of who you were?" asked Buffy, slightly concerned now.

"No. I still have most of my old memories but like my name and home I don't think they'll last much longer."

"So you're nameless" said Anya

"Anya, we've talked about being polite to people before" said Xander

"Well it's true" said Anya defensively.

"I'll take it" said the boy

"What?" asked Buffy

"Nameless. I don't want a new name, I want my old one back so until I find out how to do that I'm Nameless."

"Ok" said Buffy "Nameless it is"

"What about the whole 'all knowing' thing?" asked Xander

"Sorry boys and girls but that one's a biggy. I'm not saying."

Buffy was about to probe further when there was a ring at the door signaling that someone had just walked into the Magic Box.

"We're closed right now come back lat..." Giles trailed off mid sentence and the group turned round to see who it was. They all went pale at the sight of the woman in the doorway.

"Well look at what we have here. I've been looking all over for you" said Glory.


	4. Evolution

"Hello honey bunches, surprised it took you this long to find me. You're not as resourceful as I thought" the boy said. He stood up and started moving towards Glory, trying to keep her attention focused on him and not on the scoobies.

"You really hurt my feelings back there" said Glory in the most fake hurt voice Nameless had ever heard. "But I am feeling generous, because I'm so benevolent I'm going to give you one chance to join the winning team. If you help me find my key there's a lot I can offer you" Glory tried to put on a seductive pose but it just creeped Nameless out.

"I wouldn't help you in a million years you crazy, stupid, selfish pre-Madonna fashion victim from hell!"

Glory's expression changed from friendly to murderous on the last insult. "I'M A GOD. IAM FASSION, I'M PERFECT"

Nameless pressed on, putting on his best Gok Wan impression "Please. Those shoes with that dress. Two words darling, TRAIN WRECK".

Glory put on a blinding burst of speed, stopping in front of Nameless then punching him so hard he flew back, crashing into a bookcase. Glory then turned her attention to Buffy. "I've tried playing nice with you people and I think I've been very generous but you're all just so ungrateful. I want my key NOW and you're going to give it to me or I'll start killing your friends right n-"

"Oi, loony spice" Glory turned around then she was knocked back as a lightning bolt hit her in the chest. Buffy looked round to see Nameless, enveloped by the black aura, standing on the ruined bookcase. Electricity was still firing between his fingers.

"You can shot lightning bolts" said Dawn

"It's news to me too" said Nameless, looking at his hand.

Glory got back up and advanced on the group "Ohhhh I'm going to enjoy this" she said, not keeping the malice from her voice.

Buffy and Nameless ran forward to face Glory. Nameless grabbed Glory's arms while Buffy punched her in the gut, Glory wasn't even phased by this and pushed the two of them to her left. Buffy got back up first and rushed back to engage the demented hell god. Everyone else took cover from the fight. Giles and Dawn fled into the back room, accompanied by Anya. Xander upturned a table and crouched behind it. Willow and Tara dived behind the counter.

"This isn't working" thought Nameless "we're not hurting her enough, we need more power...wait, magic" he remembered, magic was one of the only things that could hurt Glory.

"Willow, Tara either of you do something!"

"Like what" came a shout from behind the counter

Glory threw off Buffy and advanced towards Nameless, grabbing him by the throat and trying to strangle him. "Arrggg...ANYTHING!" Nameless clapped his hands over Glory's ears forcing her to let go, he then followed up by repeatedly punching her head. Willow and Tara ran out from their cover behind the counter and climbed up the ladder to the spell books section on the second floor. Tara began looking at all the different books trying to find something that would hurt Glory

"This one" said Willow, pulling out a book titled "The black arts". She thumbed through the pages until she hit on the spell she wanted. The two witches ran to the balcony to cast the spell. Down bellow things were not going well for the good guys. Buffy and Nameless had determination on their side but Glory had raw power. She was just batting them away like flies. Occasionally they would land a punch on Glory but this was only slowing her down, not stopping her. Willow and Tara joined hands and fired a lightning bolt that wrapped itself around Glory, making her cry out in pain. The two witches only stopped when they could sustain the spell no longer. Glory was still standing.

"Is that it...is that the best you've got" said Glory. She picked up one of the Magic Box's tables and threw it at Willow and Tara. Tara got out of the way in time, Willow was not so lucky and was clipped on her head by the table, knocking her out. Tara rushed over to Willows side, holding her in her arms.

"Willow...baby...are you okay, can you hear me?!"

Nameless Looked at Glory and saw that she was laughing. Something deep inside pushed its way up out of his heart and flooded his body. Rage, pure merciless rage.

"Glory"

"What was that hon, I can't seem to hear you?" said Glory, mockingly cupping her ear with her hand.

"Glory...Glory"

"Yeah...that's my name kid now will you stop saying it is annoy...

"GLORY!"

The black aura coating Nameless changed, becoming larger and thicker. Its colour changed to, no longer just black but now with streaks of dark purple. Nameless charged at Glory who looked almost bemused at what was happening. Her expression changed when Nameless ran into her, knocking her off her feet.

Glory got back up again, striking Nameless with a backhand as she did.

"Strong little thing aren't you, but your still not as strong as me" said Glory bringing round her fist to punch Nameless. He caught Glory's fist mid flight, Glory looked surprised at this and tried to pull her hand away. To her horror she found that she couldn't, then Nameless began to squeeze.

"Not...as...strong...as...me" hissed Nameless through gritted teeth. He then punched Glory down, knocking her to the floor. She tried to get up but Nameless grabbed her by the throat and began hitting her repeatedly in the head. After about six straight hits Nameless picked her up and threw her through the Magic Box front window.

He stood where he was for a while, unable to think straight, through the haze in his head he remembered

"Willow" he said in alarm, turning from the window and running up to where Willow lay unconscious. He jumped up to the second floor to stand next to Tara. There was blood coming from a cut on the right side of Willow's head where the table had struck her. Giles had joined Tara at Willow's side and was administering to her as best he could.

"She looks seriously hurt...someone call an ambulance" he said.

"Is she going to be alright? I mean she's not..." Nameless put his hand on Willows arm. A ball of green energy shot out from his hand and passed into Willow. A green, luninesant flower appeared and bloomed above her surrounded by a ring of flowers. They all watched in amazement as Willows injuries healed themselves. Her eyes opened up and looked up straight into the eyes of Tara.

"Tara" she said smiling, then she bolted upright, suddenly concerned "Glory... where is"

"Its fine...she's gone" said Buffy, looking at Nameless. "How did you know to do that, and what was that just now, you went completely out of control?"

"I don't know how I did it I just did, like instinct. I was just so... afraid...so... angry." Nameless looked back at the shattered window and saw Glory staggering back into the Magic Box. "Oh...here we go" he moaned, jumping down to the ground floor to stand behind Buffy.

"You'll pay for this you...you hear me...your de...ARGH!" Glory staggered, clutching at her head, she looked badly bruised and was bleeding heavily from her nose.

"Get out Glory, you've lost" said Buffy. Glory gave a weak laugh then turned and disappeared in a flash of speed.

"Nameless, we need to talk about your powers. You're not in cont..." Buffy stopped mid sentence as she turned to Nameless. He seemed confused then he dropped to his knees. Xander and Anya rushed over to help then instantly backed off as the darkness exploded from him forming a half oily half wispy black and purple oval around him. He was still visible in the writhing mass but tendrils of darkness were working their way out from his chest and down his limbs, slowly making him disappear.

Buffy rushed into the dark aura and grabbed his arm, trying pulling him out. She felt the dark all around her and for a moment Buffy felt like there were thousands of eyes watching form every shadow. Then she was out, dragging an unconscious Nameless with her. She spun round only to find that the darkness had completely evaporated as though it had never been there. Buffy kept staring at the spot where it had been, still unable to shake the feeling of being watched

"Is he alright?" asked Willow, looking at Nameless. Giles bent down and checked his pulse and breathing and was relieved to find both were normal.

"He's alive, just unconscious" said Giles. "We need to get him to a hospital" Xander ran over to the counter to pick up the phone. Giles looked around despairingly at the damage that had been done to the shop. Anya chose that moment to move round to stand right in front of him.

"Does this mean I won't get a raise at all?" she asked.


	5. Dive

Nameless woke up slowly and unsteadily, not knowing what had happened to him. He remembered that Buffy was talking to him then everything had just gone. He dragged himself to his feet and forced his eyes to open, and instantly wished he hadn't. He was no longer in the Magic Box or Sunnydale for that matter. Everything around him was dark, no light in sight. For a moment he was afraid he had been consumed by his powers or something, then he noticed there was a glow below him. He looked down and saw that he was standing on a huge circular stain glass window. The image in the window showed himself leaning against the edge of the circle. In the background there was a city dominated by black skyscrapers with yellow rectangles showing where the windows were. There was one that rose above all others. It seemed to have what looked like a group of different sized TV monitors at the top of it.

"We are not in Kansas anymore" he said to himself.

With nothing obvious to do Nameless waited, and waited and waited. Eventually he became bored and walked over to the edge of the platform to try and find a way out. Nothing. Below the platform lead to an endless abyss which made him queasy just looking at it. The side of the platform itself looked like an old church, complete with stain glass windows that extended down as far as the eye could see. With looking down clearly being a mistake he tried looking up. Up was the same, just oblivion.

Then something moved. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed something. He spun round to be confronted by a small black creature. It was short, about half Nameless's height with a round face that was featureless except for two bright yellow eyes and two drooping antenna. It had two arms and legs with toeless feet and clawed hands. Aside from its eyes the creature was jet black with nothing really distinctive about it. Then it jumped at Nameless bringing one of its clawed hands round to slash at him. He batted the creature away and it hit the floor evaporating into a dark smoke. Three more creatures rose up from the floor but Nameless destroyed them just as easily, kicking away one and blasting the other two with dark bolts fired from his hands.

"Anymore?!" he yelled triumphantly "OOOHHH IAM SIMPLY THE BEST...BETTER THAN ALLLL THE RE..." he turned round and saw a massive creature rising up in front of him. It had the same yellow eyes and black skin as the others but it was more human in its build. It had huge muscular arms at odds with its relatively short, stubby legs. Long black hair drooped off its head in separate antenna like stalks. On its back there were two small vestigial wings and wrapped around where its mouth should be was what looked like a black scarf. The most interesting thing was a large heart shaped hole in its chest which went right the way through its body.

Nameless backed away then stumbled and fell over. Darkness spread out from where the creature was standing until it covered the entire platform and began to envelop a panicking Nameless. The huge creature loomed over him as he struggled to break free but he couldn't. Everything went dark.

Nameless bolted upright, trying to fight off an enemy that didn't exist. Someone grabbed hold of his arms.

"Its alright, you're ok ...your safe" said a woman's voice. It took him a moment to realize that the woman was a nurse and another to work out that he was in a hospital ward.

"Where..." Nameless began

"You're at Sunnydale general" said the nurse, she was about Nameless's height with a pretty face, green eyes and brown hair tied back in a pony tail.

"You were brought here by your friends, they said that you hit your head falling down some stairs."

"How long have I been here?" he asked

That made the nurse look nervous "I should get a doctor, he can..."

"How long!?" Nameless asked, more insistently this time.

"A couple of months" said the nurse, biting her lip

"MONTHS!" he yelled. There was no time to waste, if he was going help Buffy or anyone for that matter, he needed to get back to the Magic Box now. He got up and marched towards the door.

"Where are my things being kept?" he asked

"Ask at reception" said the nurse, too surprised by Nameless sudden return to the land of the living to argue.

A short while, and a lot of doctors telling him to lie down and rest, later Nameless emerged from the Hospital and stood at the entrance deciding on a course of action.

"Excuse me, do you know Warren?" asked a female voice next to him.

"What?" asked Nameless, turning around to the origin of the voice. Then it clicked, he remembered the question, what it ment and what today was. The one asking him the question was a robot named April, a pretty looking girl in a pink dress. Warren was the one who built her, then abandoned her and she'd come looking for him in Sunnydale the day...

"How long have you been in Sunnydale?" asked Nameless, afraid to know the answer.

"Oh I arrived two nights ago." she replied

Two nights. It was today.

"Do you know Warren?" she repeated

"NO!" yelled Nameless, already running as fast as he could away from the hospital. He needed to get back to the Summers house in the next few hours. If he failed ...he wouldn't fail...he was going to win this, not the world. The darkness surrounded him, increasing his speed to unnatural levels. He would get there in time and God help anyone who got in his way.

He turned a corner into an alleyway and immediately crashed into someone who was rummaging through a dumpster. Nameless ended up colliding with the opposite wall while the person he ran into was knocked sprawling next to the dumpster.

"Hay, watch where the bloody hell your going!" yelled the other man. Nameless instantly recognized the voice.

"Spike" he said. On the opposite side of the ally Spike got up and dusted off his leather coat.

"How do you...oh doesn't matter" said Spike changing to his vampire face "what matters is that you give me all your money and maybe I'll let you live."

"Spike, you can't hurt me, we both know that you have a chip in your head that prevents you from killing humans."

"Hey, how did you know..."

"SPIKE. I don't have time for twenty questions now listen, if I don't get to Buffy's house in the next few hours then Joyce is going to DIE!"

Spikes air of bravado faltered at that. He regarded Nameless more closely and decided that he was telling the truth.

"This way" he said "the sewers will be faster, no traffic. Plus I won't burn alive"

A short while later Spike and Nameless emerged from a manhole across from the Summers house. Spike kept the sun from frying him by pulling his coat up over his head, however this was not the best protection so Spike was still getting burned and smoking like a chimney. The two dashed across the street. While Spike went straight for the door Nameless charged at the sitting room window crashing through it in a rain of broken glass. Spike followed him in soon after, only to be confronted by a poker wielding Joyce.

Over the years Joyce had gotten used to people and things breaking into her home, from vampires and zombies to anti-slayer Faith. This time she was ready and as soon as she had heard the glass of her front window breaking she had armed herself with the first weapon that came to hand.

"Whoever or whatever you are get out of my house or I'll...Spike?" Joyce faltered slightly as she recognized her daughter's old enemy.

"Afternoon Joyce" said Spike from where he was lying.

"Spike, what's going on, why are you breaking into my house and who is...who...?"

Joyce looked confused, then she swayed slightly and started to topple over. Nameless darted towards her just in time to catch her.

"No no no no, you are not dying, I won't let it happen." As Nameless spoke he cast the healing spell that he had used earlier on Willow. The green flowers appeared above him and Joyce. When they faded he checked her wrist trying to find a pulse.

Nothing.

No wait, there. Joyce did have a pulse, she was alive. Nameless collapsed to the ground in relief, then a new realization hit him, he had just changed how this story went. Joyce was alive when she should be dead and if he could change this then he could change everything.

Spike leaned over him "You going to do something or just lie there creating flowers all day?"

After laying Joyce down on the sofa Nameless told Spike everything that he had told the Scoobies about him and what he had done since his arrival in Sunnydale. He still left out the parts about the First and how he knew about Buffy.

"YOU beat Glory in a fight, HA!" said Spike

"It's true ask Buffy"

"Err...probably not a good idea. We're in the middle of a sort of...misunderstanding." said Spike, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh right, she found out about the whole obsession and shrine-in-basement thing"

"How the hell do you know about that?!"

"Trust me, the truth would make your head explode"

Spike was less than satisfied with this answer so he tried a different approach.

"Lucky, we got here in time. I mean, if you didn't know that Joyce was going to die then..."

"Drop it Spike, I'm not telling you and there's nothing you can do to make me."

"I could tell them you're lying." said Spike

"What?"

"Well, not telling the whole truth. Your hiding something, something big. I may not be able to beat the truth out of you but Buffy can." Spike gave a self satisfied smile, convinced that he now held all the cards.

"Spike, if you tell Buffy then I'll tell her that your having Warren build you a robo-Buffy and what your planning to do with it." Spike's grin vanished.

"How do..."

"I told you, I know everything. Now do we have a deal or what?"

Spike looked like he was going to argue but then he gave up.

"Fine... deal. But only because Buffy would stake me."

"Right, tell her I said hi, oh and tell Dawn that she has got one hell of a swing." Nameless rubbed the back of his head "can still feel the bump." He got up and move towards the door.

"Hey, you can't go now" said Spike, looking at the shattered window and unconscious Joyce "how am I going to explain this to Buffy when she gets back?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something, or you could try the truth, whichever."

"Where are you going?"

Nameless gave Spike one last look before he closed the door "LA" he said.

Then he opened the door again "Oh and Spike. Do try and stay out of Buffy's underwear draw." Nameless closed the door a final time leaving Spike once again wondering how the bloody hell Nameless knew so much about him.

"Bugger" he muttered.


	6. Angels, Daemons and Lawyers

The trip to Los Angeles was slightly more eventful than Nameless had counted on. Hitchhiking all the way to LA with no money was enough of a task but it seemed Nameless couldn't spend too long in this world without someone trying to kill him. During his trip he had run into more harbingers, which indicated that the First had not forgotten him. This had actually turned out for the best as during the fight Nameless had discovered three new powers. The first was flashes of hyper speed which let him launch fast, unblockable attacks. Second was blasts of ice that he used to turn several harbingers (many of whom were still reeling from the speed punch frenzy) to ice sculptures. The last power was the ability to throw fireballs which Nameless found were great for roasting escaping enemies (and perfect openings for "great balls of fire" jokes).

Now he was in Caritas, a mystical karaoke club run by Lorne aka The Host. A daemon who can read peoples auras and sense their futures but only if they sing. Which was why Nameless was up on stage now singing the last verse of Super Trouper by ABBA. He finished the song to a luke warm applause by the audience, then he jumped down off the stage and walked over to The Host, letting someone else take the stage.

"OK, kid here's the thing" said Lorne, looking slightly embarrassed "I can't read you, there is something dark, as in pitch black and nasty that is just ...all over you."

"Yeah, I kind of thought you would say that" said Nameless, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Seriously, whatever you got in you it's bad. Here, take this, these guys can help." Lorne reached into his suit pocket and produce an Angel Investigations card which he handed to Nameless.

Nameless took the card then looked at Lorne "Krevlornswath you read my mind" he said, using Lorne's real name. Lorne looked like someone had just told him his club was being bulldozed.

"How do you..."

"I know everything" said Nameless, who was now getting tired of having to tell people that. He turned around and left, leaving a confused Lorne behind him. Nameless flagged a taxi, deciding he would run for it when the driver asked for a fair. He told the driver to head for the address printed on the card.

On the way Nameless thought about what he was doing. Why was he risking his life for these people? Until he had opened his big mouth neither Glory nor the First had a reason to go after him.

So Buffy is in for a rough life, death then new life, what did it matter to him. With these powers he could be ruling his own little kingdom by now. Then he thought about Joyce, how afraid he was that she was going to die and then how glad he had been that she was going to live. "I have the knowledge and the power to make their lives better. If I don't use that to help them what does that make me?"

The taxi stopped. Nameless looked out the window, this wasn't Angel Investigations, but then he had half been expecting this. He got out and the cab drove off instantly. He looked at the tall building in front of him and could almost feel the evil in the place. The offices of Wolfram and Heart, Hell incorporated. Nameless was greeted by Lilah and a team of Wolfram and heart security.

"You're late" said Nameless "I expected you to pick me up as soon as I arrived."

Nameless was escorted to a conference room on one of the upper floors of the building.

"If you'll just wait here, we'll be with you shortly" said Lilah

"I don't have a choice in the matter do I?" He said, already knowing the answer.

"No, not really" said Lilah frankly. She turned and left along with the guards leaving Nameless alone. He sat down on the table that ran for most of the rooms length and started snapping his fingers, conjuring a different spell each time. First electricity then fire then ice. He repeated this cycle several times before the doors to the room opened again. Lilah had returned accompanied by her boss Linwood Murrow and two security guards.

"Hey sport" said Linwood in a fake friendly tone. "Now, the psychics who work here tell me that you're an exceptionally powerful young man. I am Linwood Murrow and this is my college Lilah."

"What do you want?" asked Nameless

"Straight to the point. I like that" said Linwood

"We want to give you a job" said Lilah. She was smiling in a warm manner but Nameless noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes."A well paid job" she added

"I'm listening" said Nameless, trying to decide if he could kill these two without affecting Angel and his team in a negative way.

Lilah was about to continue but Linwood cut her off "Well according to our records, the type of power you're exhibiting has never been seen before. Now this has made the Senior partners very interested in you. So if you come and work for us, we can give you anything you want. Money, power, a large apartment"

"Eternal youth and rulership of the world" continued Nameless sarcastically

"One thing at a time" said Linwood, a little too matter of factly.

"OK" said Nameless "say I accept, what would I have to do"

"We already have an assignment lined up actually" Linwood showed Nameless a photograph of Angel. "This is Angel, a vampire with a soul. We would like a demonstration of your abilities, preferably this would involve beating Angel and his team into the ground and demolishing their base of operations."

"So, you want me to kill this...Angel guy?" asked Nameless, pretending not to know Angel.

"No. Angel is essential to the firms plans. His friends on the other hand don't really matter that much." replied Linwood

Nameless was really starting to hate Linwood. He had undoubtedly done terrible things to get where he was now but his real crime was his disregard for people's lives.

"Thing is I don't really care for money so unless you've got something better to offer..."

"We know that your powers are dark in nature and were guessing that you're starting to experience some negative effects." said Lilah

"Memory loss" said Nameless, interested in where this was going.

"We have a file on you" said Lilah, producing a large brown envelope from her bag. "Your entire life. Friends, family, home everything. It's yours after you complete your assignment"

This was clearly a lie. Nameless wasn't from this world, even the First didn't know who he was so it was unlikely that a bunch of lawyers and their daemon overlords knew any more. "I wasn't born yesterday Lilah. You don't have a clue who I am, that file is either blank or full of whatever you could make up since I arrived here." Lilah looked slightly surprised that her deception had been found out already.

"It's everything we could make up" she said, regaining her composure.

"You may have nothing to offer me but I can tell you something. Something about Angel, that you won't find in any prophecies" said Nameless. This caught the lawyer's attention.

"Big secret though so come closer" Linwood and Lilah leaned in.

"Closer", they moved closer

"I DON'T MAKE DEALS WITH LAWYERS!" yelled Nameless at the top of his lungs. Linwood and Lilah leapt back, startled at this unexpected outburst.

Linwood regained his composure first "OH well, I guess if you won't work for us willingly we'll just have to dissect you to find out how those powers work."

The two security guards, who up until now had been waiting at the doors, drew their batons and advanced towards Nameless.

"Lads" said Nameless, standing up and raising his hands "I must apologize, this is the worst joke I have ever made...CHILLE OUT!" Nameless jerked his hands forward causing two blasts of ice to shot out of his palms, freezing the guards.

"Oooooh, I've reached a new low, that was bad even by my standards" said Nameless, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then marched out of the board room leaving Linwood, Lilah and the guard-sikles behind him. More guards appeared from around a corner, this time with guns. Nameless brought up a barrier just as the guards started firing. They stopped for a moment to reload, but they never got the chance. The barrier exploded as soon as it was no longer being attacked, causing the shooters to be thrown back into a wall. Nameless simply walked past the dazed guards and hopped inside an elevator, pressing the button for the lobby entrance. He didn't really have an escape plan, it was more of a "blow everything up between me and the exit" plan but Nameless was pretty confident it would get him out of this.

As soon as the elevator opened he was greeted by about 20 or so guards standing between him and the way out. He put on a flash of speed punching the nearest guard in the gut causing him to drop his gun a keel over. Nameless then performed another flash appearing in mid air in front of the next guard, smashing his knee into the man's face. He executed two more flashes of speed, breaking one guards arm and throwing another one over the front desk. Nameless was now in the centre of the lobby and every guard could now get a good shot at him. They raised their guns and started to shoot. Nameless raised another barrier, watching bemused as the guards uselessly attacked the shield.

"Yeah...I wouldn't do that if I were you" said Nameless but the guards ignored him, either unable to hear over the gunfire or just not caring. "You see...the more you put into this shield..." there was a momentary pause in the shooting and the barrier exploded throwing everyone in the room except Nameless against walls, into desks and threw glass.

"...the more it does that." He concluded. On his way out he sent a lightning bolt threw the buildings powers supply, completely shorting out every electrical piece of equipment in the building. He wasn't going to let Wolfram and Heart forget about him in a hurry. After walking out onto the street Nameless looked around and saw the large sign in front of the building displaying the firm's name. He couldn't resist, he conjured up a fire ball in his hand and threw it at the sign which exploded rather nicely. People screamed and ran. He felt a little guilt about this but consoled himself with the idea that annoying Wolfram and heart was worth causing some bystanders distress.

Something darted past Nameless's head. He spun round to see Lilah holding a gun, pointed at his head.

"Well, you're brave" said Nameless, trying to hide how afraid he was of being killed "I thought that you'd be hiding under a desk somewhere."

"Shut up." Lilah was determined to bring this boy back to Wolfram and Heart, there was no way she was going to let Linwood blame her for what happened. The senior partners wanted to know what his powers were and when she made that happen for them she would be rewarded. Promotion, bigger office, maybe even Linwood's job. The thought of what she stood to gain made Lilah smile.

"You and I are going back inside and then we are going to cut you open and..."

"You're going to die Lilah" something about Nameless's matter of fact tone made Lilah pause.

"What?" she asked

"You're going to die in about...oh...two years time"

"Oh come on honey. Do you really think I'm going to fall for that? So what, if I let you go you'll "save me"?" said Lilah, barely containing her sarcasm.

"I know exactly when, were and why. I could save you, intervene, help but I won't. You know why?" he paused watching Lilah's reaction. "I don't think your life is worth my time."

Lilah had had enough of this. She fired her gun at Nameless's leg planning on dragging him back inside if she had to. He disappeared then reappeared in front of her. He grabbed the gun and crushed it, breaking Lilah's hand in the process.

"It's already too late for you Lilah, no one can save you." Nameless looked at Lilah with a mix of pity and contempt.

"Shut up!" Lilah hissed through the pain. Nameless grabbed Lilah by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

"Thing is, why wait? After all you're a pathetic excuse for evil and a total waste of space. No one's going to miss you. You're going to die anyway so, why should I prolong the inevitable?" Nameless stopped where he was, running over what he had just said. This wasn't right, he wasn't a killer. He let go of Lilah who fell to the ground and hastily scurried backwards.

"You made your choices, now live with them." Nameless turned away, needing to get away from Lilah and this place. This stuff inside wasn't just eating his memories anymore. It was starting to twist his values, making him into a monster. He didn't have much time.

After stopping several times to ask for directions, not wanting to risk a cab again, Nameless arrived at the Hyperion Hotel, base of operations for Angel Investigations. He strode through the front doors to be greeted by...nothing. He'd come all this way and there was no one there.

"Great" he thought to himself "I did enough waiting while I was in a coma." He walked up to the front desk.

"HELLO!" he yelled "Angel, Gunn, Wesley, Cordiliah...ANYONE!" No reply.

After screaming some profanities at the walls for a few minutes he found a way to pass the time by breaking into Wesley's office and riding his swivel chair around the hotel lobby.

"YEEEEEEHAAAAA...WHOOOO...!" this continued until Nameless crashed the chair into the front desk causing him to flip over and land behind it. He lay there groaning and laughing for a moment then he heard the front doors opening and the sound of peoples voices.

"I'm telling you this is serious" British accent, definatly Wesley he thought "something powerful broke out of Wolfram and Heart's offices and for all we know it could be getting ready to go on the rampage.

"Hey, this thing trashed Wolfram and Heart, that makes it ok in my book." said another voice which Nameless recognized as Gunn's.

"I'm with Wes" said a third voice with was unmistakably Angel's. "If this thing was powerful enough to get away from Wolfram and Heart we should prepare for the worst."

"Why do you always have to be so negative Angel" said a female voice which could only belong to Cordiliah. "Besides even if we do need to kill this thing we don't know what it is or where it is."

"ITS RIGHT HERE!" proclaimed Nameless, jumping up onto the desk "and I would appreciate you not calling me an IT".

Angel, Wes, Cordiliah and Gunn all instinctively drew their weapons. Angel and Cordi had swords, Wes had an axe and Gunn had his crossbow. All of these were now being aimed squarely at Nameless, needless to say he was less than comfy with the situation.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Settle down, I come in peace" he said, making the Vulcan hand sign.

"You're what broke out of Wolfram and Heart?" asked Angel.

"The one and only" said Nameless, flicking his wrists causing wisps of darkness to curl up.

"Fascinating" said Wesley, lowering his axe and moving over to inspect the darkness coming off of Nameless.

"Don't leave us in suspense Wes, what is it?" asked Gunn, still pointing his crossbow at Nameless.

"Standing right here y'know" he said resolving to punch the next person who called him an IT.

"This is clearly some dark based power but I've never seen anything quite like it before." said Wesley "Tell me, how has it affected you"

"Increased strength, speed, endurance and magic spells at the cost of memories and I think its turning me slightly evil." Nameless thought back to what he had done to Lilah. No one deserved to have their own death thrown in their face like that.

"What types of spells?" inquired Wesley, more interested than ever.

"Fire, ice, healing...Oh and a barrier that explodes when it gets hit. That's a good one just ask Buffy."

"How do you know Buffy?" asked Angel

"Pull up a chair" said Nameless "I've got quite the story to tell"

Nameless went over everything that had happened from his arrival in Sunnydale to what happened at Wolfram and Heart. There were some parts he left out though including his conflict with the First and saving Joyce. They didn't need to know about those parts.

"You told Lilah that she was going to die?" asked Cordilia

"Yeah well you try having the power of darkness inside you and see how long before you start going evil." replied Nameless

"That powers going to kill you" said Wesley. "From what you've told me I'm guessing that it's consuming you. It nearly did just that once before."

"I NEED them, they're the only way I can save any of you!" Nameless blurted out without thinking.

"What do you mean by that? Do you know something, about what Wolfram and Heart are planning?" asked Angel

"I don't want to have to watch people die" Nameless sounded detached as he spoke "If I can't save people with these powers then what's the dam point." Flickers of darkness curled around Nameless, who seemed unaware of what was happening him. Angel reached forward and gave him a shake, snapping him out of the trance like state he was in.

"You have to stop using those powers" said Angel, re-enforcing what Wesley said "Now, we can help you if you let us"

"No you can't. None of you know what these powers are and..."

Nameless looked uneasy, finally he decided what to do. "I have to go now."

"Whoa, hang on there" said Angel getting in Nameless's way as he tried to leave. "You can't leave, that darkness of yours is dangerous you could hurt someone."

"I won't." He replyed, moving around to pass Angel.

"Where you going to go?" asked Gunn

"Sunnydale. With luck I'll make it back in time to save Buffy."

"Buffy's in danger!?" asked Angel, alarmed that his ex-girlfriends life was a risk.

"Yes, but I'm going to help, interfere so things will go differently. Besides LA needs you here right now. This city has got some nasty things coming over the next few days and you need to be here for it."

"How do you know?" asked Cordilia

"I know everything" Nameless replied. "When you see Groo and Fred, tell them someone they've never met says hi."

"What?" asked Cordilia, confused by the randomness of the request.

"You'll understand soon enough" said Nameless as he strode out the doors.


	7. Return to the Hellmouth

Getting back to Sunnydale had been considerably easier than leaving it on account of Nameless having stolen Lilah's wallet when he was breaking her hand. He still felt bad about that whole event. Not for hurting Lilah, as far as he was concerned she'd got what was coming to her. What bothered him was how he had let the darkness run him, he needed to keep this thing in check or he'd lose himself in it. On his way back he'd written two letters, which were now safely tucked away in his back pocket. They were his plan b if the worst came to pass. The coach he was riding stopped and he disembarked with the rest of the passengers and set off for his first destination. Sunnydale Hospital.

Ben was not having the time of his life. When you have to put up with a hell god sharing your body days are never going to be easy but lately things had taken a turn for the worst. He'd been fired from his job at the Hospital because of Glory borrowing his body in her constant attempts at finding the Key, Dawn Summers. That made Ben smile. He knew exactly what Glory was after and she will never know. Right now it was late at night and he was standing outside the hospital front doors, trying to take his mind off things by remembering the good times.

"Excuse me. Your one of the doctors from the hospital right" Ben looked around to see the speaker, a boy with black spiky hair.

"I've got this problem you see and..."

"I can't help you" said Ben, who didn't feel like talking right now "I don't work here anymore. And I was never a doctor, I was an orderly."

"Please, I need someone to help me and I think you're the only one who can" the boy pleaded.

"I'm sorry but I can't." said Ben, turning to walk away.

"My problem is I'm stuck sharing my body with a hell god" said Nameless

Ben turned around very slowly to face Nameless.

"How do you know about..." he began but he was cut off by Nameless

"Because I KNOW EVERYTHING. Seriously, how many times do I have to say it before people get it through their heads? I KNOW EV-ER-Y-THING!"

"Are you one of the knights of Byzantium?" asked Ben, taking a step back.

"If I was I'd be saying things like "doth hither" and "Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo"".

"Yeah, I suppose" said Ben, felling slightly more reasured "You'd have probably tried to kill me too"

"Probably should" said Nameless. His tone hadn't changed but Ben noticed that he was no longer smiling. "All I have to do is blast you and that's it. No more Glory, disaster averted." Nameless raised his hand towards Ben, darkness building in his palm ready to fire.

"Can't though, can I" Nameless lowered his arm "Have to give you a chance"

"A chance to do what?" asked Ben, more confused than ever.

"To make the right choice." Ben's phone started to ring.

"You should answer that" said Nameless as he turned to leave. "Its Buffy, she needs you"

Ben took his phone out and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Ben? It's Buffy. Listen I don't have a lot of time so I need you to just trust me. My friend, Giles, he's been hurt badly and I need your help."

"Where are you?"

"An old abandoned gas station on the highway. You can't miss it. It's surrounded by knights."

"What?"

"You'll see when you get here."

"OK, I'll be there as soon as I can" Ben hung up and watched Nameless leave.

"Make the right decision" he repeated. Then he ran in the direction of his car, still unsure what the "right" decision was.

A few hours later the scoobies were back in Sunnydale. Things had not gone well for them. Glory had Dawn and Buffy had retreated into herself. In Buffy's absence Willow had taken charge of the scoobies and was now carrying the unconscious Buffy back to the Magic Box where she could help her friend recover. She opened the shops door then froze in the doorway. She couldn't believe it.

"Nameless?!" said Willow. The amnesiac boy was the last person Willow had expected to find here.

"Hey Will." Nameless replied "I'm back and I bring gifts" he held up a bag with the doublemeat fast food logo printed on it.

"Figured you'd need something to eat."

"Move over Willow, why are you just standing the..."

"Anya, nice to see you haven't change" Anya had barged in behind Willow leading an insane Tara (curtsey of Glory) in with her.

"Have to go, it's TIME!" exclaimed Tara

"Ssshhhh baby. Everything's going to be fine" said Willow, trying to calm Tara down, with little effect. Nameless walked over to Willow and helped her sit Buffy down in a chair.

"Well now that sleeping beauty's taken care of we need to talk about wh..." it was now Nameless's turn to freeze in disbelief.

"Joyce" he managed to say, still surprised to see her alive and well (or as well as she could be after being attacked by the knights of Byzantium and Glory). "You're looking...well um...er..."

"I think the word you're looking for is "alive"." said Joyce "Spike tells me that I have you to thank for that."

"Spike told the truth. Wow, I did wake up from that coma right. I mean I'm not dreaming this?" joked Nameless. Joyce smiled slightly at that.

"There, that's better. A smile."

"We don't have time for jokes." said Willow "This is serious Nameless. Buffy's gone into some kind of coma and we found out that Dawn..."

"...Is the Key. I know" said Nameless, finishing Willows sentence. "I've known since the start. I just thought that Buffy should be the one to break it to you."

"Ok" Willow continued, with less certainty than before "but what you don't know it's that ..."

"Dawn has been captured by Glory who is as we speak getting ready to use her to break apart reality. Tara's been brain drained and Giles has been impaled with a pike. Did I miss anything?"

"It was a spear, not a pike." said Anya. Nameless slowly turned his head to face Anya, then turned back to Willow.

"What's the plan?" he asked, though secretly he already knew.

"I'm going to go into Buffy's mind and try to bring her back. Come on, I need you to help me get her into the back room." Nameless followed Willows instructions, picking up Buffy's feet while Willow lifted her up under the arms.

"How come you didn't go into my mind when I was in a coma?" asked Nameless "The company would have been appreciated"

"I tried, but as soon as I got inside your head there were these creatures that ..."

"Small, black, yellow eyes, antenna, tried to kill you?" guessed Nameless, remembering the creatures from his dream.

"Yeah. That's them exactly. How did you..."

"I'll tell you later. Or maybe not at all." Willow almost groaned at that. Nameless was still as infuriating as ever.

After maneuvering Buffy into the back room Willow had stayed behind to try and wake Buffy while Nameless waited in the front of the shop along with Anya, Tara and Joyce. After a while of waiting and putting up with Anya and her comments Spike, Xander and Giles arrived.

"Anya, what happened, has there been any change in Buffy's...Nameless?" Giles was surprised to find the youth back in Sunnydale after his abrupt departure from the hospital.

"Nameless. Your back. And you bought burgers" said Xander who hadn't lost his sense of priority.

"Great. As if I don't have enough to put up with." said Spike, evidently not over the moon about Nameless's return.

"Good to see you three again, even you Spike. Nice to know I wasn't forgotten. Hang on let me help you with that" Nameless moved over to Giles and cast a healing spell over him, causing the room to glow green for a moment with the light form the resulting flowers. Giles checked under his bandages to find that his wound had completely healed without even a scar.

"Admit it, I'm amazing" said Nameless.

"Guess what we found" interrupted Xander, holding up an ornate box. Nameless recognized it as Doc's box.

"That box has a text inside that tells you how to use Dawn to open reality, Glory's already read it." he said, surprising everyone yet again with how he seemed to know everything.

"In that case we'd better read fast" said Giles

"No need, I already know what's in it, but we need to wait for Buffy" said Nameless

"Has there been any change in Buffy's condition?" asked Giles. Nameless walked over to stand next to the door to the back room.

"Well if my timekeeping is right you should get an answer any..." The door flew open, whacking Nameless in the face. Buffy came out of the back room with Willow following right behind her.

"Buffy, you're ok?" asked Xander

"Yeah, I'm Ok" Buffy replied, though she sounded anything but ok. She looked around at the assembled Scoobies.

"I thought Nameless was here?"

"He is" said Nameless in a nasally tone, emerging from behind the door, holding his nose. Buffy looked apologetically at him then turned to Willow.

"You guys found anything about what Glory's going do to Dawn?" she asked.

"Me and Spike here found a ritual text... 'bout what Glory's got planed" Xander held up the box giving it a shake

"All for nothing as the emo reject already knows what it says" said Spike, indicating Nameless

"Hey" said Nameless rounding on Spike, "at least I'm not too blond for the third Reich"

"Did you know Ben is Glory?" said Xander, ignoring Spike and Nameless's argument.

"So I'm told. Ok Nameless, you say you know everything, now's your chance to prove it."

"Ben is Glory, knew I left something off the list...what? Oh right, Glory. Well the ritual involves opening a dimensional portal by way of a..." Nameless paused, unsure how to proceed "By way of a bloodletting"

"Bloodletting?" said Joyce, suddenly more afraid for her daughter than ever.

"Yeah, once the blood starts flowing then the portal opens then good night Vienna."

"It always has to be blood" said Spike. Xander let out a sarcastic laugh at that.

"I'm serious lackbrain" continued Spike "Blood is life, why do you think we drink it. It's what makes you lot warm and alive."

"Ok, so if this portal does open, how do we close it? Can we close it?" asked Willow. Nameless looked at the ground, not wanting to answer.

"According to the text the only way to stop the portal once its open is to...kill Dawn."

"Ok" said Buffy, "Pretty simple math here. We stop Glory before she can start the ritual. How long do we have before Glory can start the ritual?"

"Sometime tonight, so we have a few hours. Which reminds me...one sec" Nameless ran out the shops back door leaving the scoobies to plan.

"Buffy" Giles began "If we don't make it in time then-"

"I don't want to hear it" said Buffy, refusing to accept killing Dawn as a valid plan

"I understand that-"

"No! No you don't understand. We are not talking about this."

"Yes we bloody well are!"

"No we are not!" yelled Joyce, much to everyone's surprise, "No one is hurting my daughter Rupert Giles do you understand me!?"

"If the ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death including Dawn." countered Giles.

"Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her." said Buffy, with an air of finality.

"I'm back" said Nameless, re-entering the shop. "Sorry 'bout that. Vampire out back, nearly forgot about him. Actual I arrived a little early, had to wait for him."

"Can we PLEASE focus on the issue at hand." demanded Giles.

"Yeah well, we all have different ways of dealing with things." said Nameless, absentmindedly.

"Dealing with what?" asked Buffy.

"Never mind. Anyway, were not killing Dawn. End of discussion."

"Okay" said Anya loudly, interrupting Giles before he could retort. "All in favour of stopping Glory *before* the ritual. Suggestions, ideas? Time's a-wastin'. Willow. I bet you've got some dark spell a-brewin'. Uh, make her a, a, a toad? Little hoppy toad, we can hit her with a hammer?"

"Hoppy toad" giggled Tara

"What about Ben?" asked Xander. "He can be killed, right? I mean, I know he's an innocent, but, you know, not like Dawn innocent. We could kill a ... regular guy." Xander looked ashamed as he realised what he had just said.

"I could have." said Nameless

"What?" asked Buffy

"I met Ben before he went out to the gas station. I knew about him being Glory."

Buffy didn't raise her voice but all the menace in the world was there "You mean that you could have prevented this you could have-"

"Could have what Buffy?" asked Nameless "Burned him alive. Fried him with a lightning bolt. Crushed his skull, broken his spine, should I go on." Buffy looked away.

"I didn't kill Ben because I had to give him a chance to make the right choice. I doubt he will but I still had to. What's done is done now we have to focus on Glory. Over to you Anya"

"I doubt Anya has much to contribute aside from un-infectious enthusiasm" said Giles

"The Dygon Sphere" said Anya "it was what the monks used to repel Glory, we still have it in the basement." Anya ran over to one of the display cases "We also have Olaf the troll gods enchanted hammer. You want to fight a god use the weapon of a god."

Nameless looked over at Giles. "Told you." Giles looked more than a little embarrassed.

Buffy walked over to the display case.

"Uh, nah," said Spike, remembering how he couldn't even lift the hammer let alone use it. "That thing's too heavy to-" Buffy picked up the hammer easily "Yeah. Good."  
Buffy felt the hammers weight in her hands "I like this. Thanks."  
"Here to help. Wanna live." replied Anya  
"Smart chicks are soooo hot." said Xander looking admiringly at his girlfriend  
"You couldn't have figured that out in tenth grade?" asked Willow, the two shared a smile at the joke.

Nameless watched them all from a distance, remembering every word of this conversation. That memory lead to more memories of what these people were going to go through, the things he wasn't going to let happen. He moved over to join the group.

"I didn't care about you lot when I first got here."

"Yeah well I still don't care about you now" said Spike.

"Of course you didn't care. You didn't know us and we didn't know you" said Joyce.

"That's not true. I knew all about you. What you've all been through and what you're yet to go through. I didn't think you were real people at first. Then I remembered about you dying" Nameless looked at Joyce "and all that just went away. What I'm trying to say is ...thanks. Until I got here I don't think I'd done anything worthwhile."

"Nameless" said Willow, nervously "why does it sound like your saying goodbye?"

"Because I am, might not get a chance later."

"You don't think we can win do you?" said Spike "I knew it, even with all the talk you still-"

"I know you can win. I've seen you do it before." said Nameless cryptically. "I just need to take care of something before we fight Glory. 'sides, had to say something in case I don't make it."

"What do you mean you've seen us do it before?" said Buffy, she'd had to put up with Nameless and his weird remarks for long enough, now she wanted a straight answer. "Ever since you arrived you've acted like you know something that we don't. You're always saying that you know everything but how, just how do you know?"

"I can't tell you Buffy. You...you wouldn't understand. You don't know what I'm going through."

"Oh, don't I" said Buffy sarcastically.

"No Buffy you don't. Your powers are safe, they're not eating you inside!" Nameless yelled. He looked at the scoobies seemingly shocked by his own outburst. "I can't tell you because I don't remember how I know. Everything else is gone, everything important anyway. All my experiences are still there but who I am, family, friends, birthdays, house,...all gone." Nameless hated having to lie to Buffy like this. Most of his memories were now gone but he still remembered how he knew about Buffy. He couldn't tell them he was from another world. If the wrong person, like the First, found out who knew what could happen.

"Nameless...I'm sorry" said Buffy, putting her hand on Nameless's shoulder.

" 'sides" said Nameless, trying to lighten the mood. "You don't really need me, you already have a big gun" He raised his arm indicating Willow.

"I'm a - no, I-I was never a gun. You should be the gun. I, I could be a, a cudgel. Or, or a pointy stick."

"You're the strongest of the scoobies Willow. A lot stronger than me defiantly." Nameless began to head towards the door.  
"Nameless" called Xander. He turned around. "Don't suppose you know where to find Glory. All this planning and stuff is useless unless we know where she is."

Nameless raised his hand to indicate Tara. "Big day" she said "It calls to me. Big day"

"Don't wait up for me" said Nameless as he left the magic Box.


	8. For the future

Glory was starting to get impatient. She was so close to getting back home but she had to wait for the right time. She hated having things outside her control, but when she was back home she would be free. Then nothing would be beyond her control. Glory was currently inside Ben, the prison that her former sisters had stuffed her in when they had betrayed her. There wasn't much to do in her current state other than dream of all the suffering she would cause on those she hated. Her former sisters, the Slayer and her friends and *him*. Glory remembered that spiky haired boy from the magic shop and what he had done to her, but he would pay along with every other living thing. Glory relaxed a little at that thought, the suffering of others always gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Then she heard something. She turned her attention to what was happening outside. That girl...what's her name...Dawn was calling her name. If she didn't answer then Dawn would just keep yelling and Glory had enough to put up with without all the noise.

"Will you just stop-" began Ben, then he morphed into Glory.

"-shouting already" finished Glory."Huh" she noticed that she was holding some kind of dress which she recognised as the ritual dress that Dawn was supposed to wear.

"Pity" she thought "having to die must be bad enough but in this thing."

"So, what's the hubbub, bub?" asked Glory sitting down across from Dawn "What you got against old Benjy?"

"He's a monster. At least you're up-front about it." said Dawn. She still had some fight in her, thought Glory, she'd have to beat that out.

"Don't be so hard on the boy. He just wants to live. Most guys would do the same. Besides, he's probably the reason your sis and her little cartoon pals are still alive." Glory took a moment to reminisce about her encounters with the slayer and her little group.

"That little nagging pinch of humanity that makes me go for the hurt instead of the kill. Lowering myself to trade blows with the Slayer when I should have just put my fist through her heart. Its gotta be Ben"

"Or maybe you just can't take her." said Dawn. That got Glory's attention. Glory threw one end of the dress to Dawn who caught it by reflex. Glory then yanked on the other end that she held pulling Dawn to her feet. Glory jumped up so her face was just inches from Dawns.

"Hmm, funny thing. You've been here for a few hours now, and I haven't seen big sis galloping in to save you. She probably knows what a terrible mistake that'd be." said Glory, determined to crush Dawns irritating hope once and for all.

"She's not afraid of you." retorted Dawn, although she sounded less sure of what she was saying.

"Oh no, sweetie baby. I'm talking about the ritual. 'Cause you know I bleed you, the portals open, but once you die they close. The faster you die, the better for your sorry species." Glory put her hand on the side of Dawns face. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Your splendiforesnes" came the voice of one of Glory's goblin like minions "I come with..." that was as far as he got. Glory strode over to the door then smashed right through it grabbing the minion by the throat.

"What is it you scabby idiot, I'm in the middle of a chat with Danwie hear."

"Forgive me your sparkling luminesance" choked the minion "but you told me to watch the slayer for anything interesting. The boy with the spiky hair is back."

"Nameless." whispered Dawn, surprised that he had returned. The last she had heard of Nameless he was on his way to Los Angeles. Glory dropped the minion, her face breaking into a sadistic grin as she turned to Dawn.

"So that's what he's called. Nameless. Ha! Oh but this is perfect. I get to kill the slayer and that rude little jerk who dared to hurt ME in the same day."

Dawn's fear changed to anger as she listened to Glory talk about her plans to kill her sister. She'd had enough of Glory and her constant "me me me" attitude and all the threats and being afraid of her all the time. "Your hardly one to talk, what kind of name is "Glory" anyway?" she blurted out without thinking. Glory lashed out knocking Dawn into a side wall. Dawn lay where she fell not wanting to get up, the fear of Glory was back in full force now and it wasn't going to go away this time. She could feel warm blood trickling from her nose.

"You should try and keep that blood in" said Glory "we don't want to waste any just yet." With that Glory left, forgetting Dawn and turning her mind to more important things. What kind of shoes do you wear for a return to hell?

A couple of miles away Nameless was in Sunnydale high, digging. Sunnydale High had been blown up two years ago by Buffy when she stopped Mayor Wilkins assention to daemon hood. Since then the cities council had decided to rebuild Sunnydale High, though what had possessed them to do so was beyond Nameless. After arriving on the reconstruction sight Nameless had knocked out a guard, stolen a shovel and made his way to the where the basement would be. That's where he was now and had been for the past hour, digging up the Seal of Danzalthar. He almost had it uncovered now, it was an ugly looking thing. The seal itself was a metal circle roughly six feet across, on it was a five pointed star and on top of that was a symbol of a goats face. The whole thing seemed emitting an unnatural energy that made him feel uneasy, like he wasn't alone in here. Nameless scrambled out of the hole he had dug and looked down into the crater.

"Hello First" he said, turning around. Sure enough the First was standing right behind him, still wearing Jenny's appearance like she was the latest fashion for evil apparitions.

"Eyes in the back of your head?" asked the First in its usual, superior tone.

"Who else would be here" replied Nameless.

"You're quite an enigma you know" said the First "You seem to know everything you shouldn't like where to find this seal and then there's Jenny. You never met her, she was dead long before you appeared so how did you recognise her."

"If you really want to know I'll tell you. But it's a big secret so you have to come closer." said Nameless, planning to pull the same trick on the First that he had on the lawyers. The First stayed where it was, merely raising an eyebrow at him.

"I know what you did to those lawyers and I know you're planning to do the same to me. I wasn't born yesterday."

"That's a shame, we could have started that personality of yours from scratch. But I didn't come here to trade verbal blows with you deary."

"That begs the question, why are you here? You told the slayer yourself that you just stumbled into your powers."

"So. It doesn't matter how I got them or why I'm here. What matters is what I do with all this." Nameless turned toward the seal only to find that the First had appeared in front of him.

"You want to know the reason your here." said the Fist, letting out a short laugh "There is no reason. You think you have a destiny, a purpose, you don't. You're an accident."

"Destiny or not I'm going to save this world and Buffy and the scoobies. And nothing you can say or do will change that. Unlike everyone else it seems you don't know me, not quite as omnipotent as you claim to be eh." Nameless walked around the First so he was now standing on the edge of the hole.

"I know your alone." said the First, smiling slightly. That caught Nameless's attention.

"What?" he asked, turning to face the First.

"You're lonely. I can tell, it's written all over your face. I've seen it a million times. Distanced from your family and no friends at all." Nameless clenched his fists, unsure whether or not to believe the First. It could easily be lying but what if it was telling the truth?

"Doesn't matter. I have friends now."

"Ah yes, Buffy and those little side shows that tag along with her. You don't seem to be doing much to help them right now. You could be charging in and saving Dawn right now but instead your here, leaving them alone."

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"But I suppose they can never really be your friends, no one can. That darkness of yours is running you over. Bit by bit you're losing all control. Won't be long before you lose yourself entirely. No one really goes for damaged goods."

"I AM NOT LOSING CONTROL!" yelled Nameless, darkness starting to coil up round his arms as he spoke.

"Temper temper" said the First, savouring every moment of pain it caused. "How's that amnesia of yours going hmm. Remember where you live? Favourite food? Football team? Parents names or faces? Any aspect of who you are?" Nameless went over what was left of his memories looking for anything that told him about the person he was. Nothing. The First seemed to read his train of thought and its smile widened.

"Your right. I don't remember anything about me." Nameless looked at the seal below him, then back at the First."But I remember Buffy...Willow, Tara, Giles, Angel...all of them." Nameless raised one of his arms so it was pointing at the seal. "And I still want to help them any way I can" He fired a dark bolt straight at the seal. Nothing happened for a moment then the seal cracked, then shattered inwards with a loud metallic clang. Nameless hadn't taken his eyes of the First, he'd watched its expression go from contempt, to concern, to disbelief and now it had settled on anger.

The first stared at the seal "That's not...you...do you have any idea what you've done?" hissed the First through gritted teeth.

"Busted the seal of danza-ma-flip destroying the Tourak-Han super vampire army contained within. Which pretty much scuttles your goal of becoming corporeal." said Nameless trying, and failing, not to smile.

The First looked absolutely furious now. It lashed out trying to punch Nameless but its fist just passed through harmlessly. "This wasn't part of the plan but there are other ways I can..."

"No. No more plans, it's over your done. Even without me to rain on your parade you'd still have lost in the end. You just can't beat Buffy." the First could almost hear the casual shrug in Nameless's voice as he started walking towards the exit. The First stayed where it was still staring at the seal trying to figure out how its plans had come apart.

"Why?" it asked finally. "Why can't I beat that stupid little girl?"

"You don't know do you. All that watching and you still haven't seen" said Nameless

"Seen what?"

"Forget it. You'll never understand." Nameless left the basement and headed back for Sunnydale and Glory's construction site. He didn't get far before the First appeared again, leaning up against the side of a building in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked the First.

"To mow the lawn, where do you think I'm going?" Nameless had had just about enough of the first and its comments.

"Do you really think I'm just going to let you walk away after all that you've done?"

"Keep talking First, thats all you can really do... talk. And I've already proven that your Jedi mind tricks don't work on me so kindly get lost."

"True enough, I can't hurt you" said the First. Nameless rounded a corner "..but they can." Filling the street in front of Nameless was a small army of Harbingers, about fifty of them ,all armed and all looking directly at Nameless. He surveyed the line of Harbingers in before him then looked at the First.

"How many of these guys do you have girl?" he asked, the First simply smiled then disappeared.

"Ok now that's the one thing I can't do, yet." Nameless turned back to the harbingers who were now advancing on him in eerie unison. "Ouch time." said Nameless. Darkness coiled up around him. He charged at the Harbingers, readying a lightning spell in his hand as he ran. The harbingers ran forward to meet Nameless, weapons at the ready. They wanted to die and Nameless was happy to oblige them.


	9. Glory's tower

"Buffy, it's nearly time" said Giles "If we're going to go it has to be now." She had been hoping that Nameless would return by now, he was just as strong as her and Spike which made him one of the only people alive that could give Glory pause. Unfortunately he was nowhere in sight and they had no more time to waste.

"Shouldn't we wait for Nameless" asked Joyce.

"That would be good" said Anya "He did hurt glory once before. Plus there would be one more person to die instead of me".

"There's no time left, besides I bet he already knows where to go. He knows everything remember." said Buffy. "Alright. Everyone get what you need, we're moving. Will?"

Willow nodded understanding what Buffy ment, she walked over to Tara who was sitting by some of the shops merchandise. "Tara, baby? Is there somewhere you should be?" she asked. Tara looked up at Buffy.

"They held me down." she said.

"No one's holding you. It's the big day, right?" said Willow encouragingly. Buffy looked concerned, part of her wondered if this was the right thing to do. Risking Tara like this didn't seem right.

"Do you wanna go?" asked Willow when Tara didn't get up. This time Tara did move, she started towards the door but stopped by Giles and Spike.

"You're a killer." she said to Giles, much to everyone's surprise. "This is all set down." Then she turned and left the shop.

"Stay close but don't crowd her. We'll follow in a minute." said Buffy quietly. "Everybody knows their jobs. Remember, the ritual starts, we all die. And I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn." With that Buffy left the shop following Tara with Willow, Xander, Joyce and Anya right behind her.

"Well, not exactly the St. Crispin's Day speech, was it?" said Spike as he gathered up the last weapons he needed.

"We few... " said Giles as he passed Spike on his way out. "...we happy few."

"We band of buggered." said Spike as he left.

Tara strode forward at a brisk pace with the scoobies following close behind. After a while of what seemed like aimless wandering Tara went into what looked like a construction site. Rising above the site was a colossal tower, seemingly constructed from scrap metal and pieces of junk.

"Shpadoinkle." said Xander, ever the wordsmith.

"What is that?" asked Anya

"The portal must open up there." said Giles, indicating the long platform at the top of the construct.

"Will, you're up." said Buffy.

"Need anything?" asked Giles.

"Could use a little courage." replied Willow. Spike reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his whisky flask which he held out for Willow. "The real kind. But thanks." Spike nodded and put the flask away, deciding to drink it after they'd saved the world.

Inside the construction site Glory was buzzing with anticipation. She was so close to realising her goals...then she caught sight of someone who couldn't be there. She ran up behind Tara and spun her around so she was facing Glory.

"You. What are you doing here?" asked Glory. Too late she noticed Willow had snuck up beside her.

"She's with me." said Willow, grabbing hold of both Tara and Glory's heads. They all screamed as blue lightning flickered around them, something seemed to stream from Glory's head into Tara's. Then there was a blast of force as Willows spell ended hurling all three participants in different directions. Glory recovered first, getting up from a pile of concrete she had landed in. Several of her minions had run over to her and were now crowding around her.

"What the frickin' hell did that bitch do to me?" demanded Glory.

The minions looked at each other for a moment then one of them decided to respond.

"You look fine. Truly." he said anxiously. Glory didn't feel fine. Whatever Willow had done to her it had made it hard to think straight. Thoughts were there they just weren't connecting.

"She made a little ... she made a hole." said Glory, clutching her head. "Uh, I need a brain to eat."

"Oh, take mine, oh groove-tastic one!" offered another minion. Glory was repulsed by the offer. She wasn't going to lower herself by feeding on these scum.

"I said a brain, you worthless dirt!" Glory tried to focus on what she was doing but the fog in her mind refused to clear. "Big day. I got places to be, big day. Need a brain." Glory looked up and suddenly things started to make sense.

"Suppose I could always use yours." scoffed Glory.

"Okay then." said Buffy "Come and get it."

Glory started to smile then a wave of pain passed through her, causing her to flinch.

"You don't seem very well." said Buffy innocently.

"Your little witch bitch ... gave me kind of a headache there." Glory tore off the ritual robe she had been wearing to reveal a simple black dress underneath. "But if you think this is gonna last more than eight seconds-"

"I noticed you're talking, whereas in your position, I would attack me." interrupted Buffy. One of Glory's minions moved to stand next to Glory., who was looking weaker by the second.

"Oh, most sweaty-naughty-feelings-causing one, should we..." he began hesitantly.

"Go guard the girl. This is a ... this is a, a..." Glory put her hand on her forehead trying to force her thoughts to do as they were told.

"Diversionary tactic?" finished the minion.

"Go guard!" snapped Glory. The minions scurried away, pulling a bunch of the crazies from their work to stand at the base of the stairs leading up to the tower.

"It's strange," said Buffy "you're not as blurry with speed as usual either."

"The witch..." said Glory, thinking about what Willow had done to her minutes ago.

"It's not her." Buffy produced the Dagon Sphere from behind her. "Might be this."

Glory's eyes widened in alarm as she realised what the small glowing sphere was.

"I heard it's supposed to repel you." Buffy continued "So my guess is ... you probably shouldn't touch it, either." Buffy tossed the Dagon Sphere at glory who caught it instinctively. The sphere glowed brighter at Glory's touch and the air seemed to warp around it as it reacted to the hell gods presence. Glory herself was visibly in pain, but as expected the sphere didn't stop her for long. Glory slowly tightened her grip until she crushed the sphere completely.

"You're gonna wish you-" Glory didn't finish her threat. Buffy punched her in the face causing Glory to stumble backwards. She didn't give Glory a chance to recover, she just kept hitting her again and again.

Over by the stairs the minions were looking around nervously, expecting an attack at any second.

"Stand fast!" commanded one minion "Kill anyone who dares approach! This will be our day of glory!"

"Well punned." commented a second minion.

"Well, it just called out to me." replied the other minion modestly. Suddenly and arrow embedded itself in the first minions chest, he fell back collapsing into the second. Spike congratulated himself on what he considered a good shot. He threw down his crossbow as Anya, Giles and Joyce rushed past him to engage the minions. On Spikes left Giles was having a sword duel with a minion armed with a staff, while on his right Anya was beating one of the goblin like cronies with a baseball bat. Not far from Anya was Joyce who was currently, to Spikes surprise, tackling three minions at once, and winning. Joyce had armed herself with a steel mace and was taking the minions apart, not giving them a moments reprieve. Spike made a mental note never to get Joyce this angry in the future then he turned his attention on two minions directly in front of him. With a loud battle cry he surged forward crashing into the two of them, sending all three of them to tumbling the ground.

Off to one side of the battle Willow regained consciousness and painfully rose to her feet. As she did so she saw Tara lying in a pile of debris a few feet away. "Tara!" Willow half crawled, half walked to where Tara lay, hoping with all she had that her spell had worked. "Tara? Tara?". Tara's eyes flickered opened looking at Willow, confused. "Tara?" asked Willow again.

"W-Willow?" asked Tara, regaining her senses.

"Tara?" asked Willow, smiling hopefully.

"Willow...I got so lost." said Tara through a haze of tears.

"I found you" said Willow who proceeded to kiss all over Tara's face then hugged her warmly. "I will always find you."

On the other side of the building Glory and Buffy were still battling. Buffy initially had the advantage thanks to Glory being weakened but now with the Dagon Sphere gone Glory was starting to regain her strength.

"You know what?" said Glory, catching one of Buffy's punches. "I'm feeling a little better. And now? I'm a little bored."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Cause you're about-" Glory kicked Buffy's head off. Glory had expected a shower of blood and viscera, instead she got sparks and wires. She looked down bewildered at the twitching metal corpse before her.

"Hey, wow, the Slayer's a robot. Did everybody else know the Slayer was a robot?"

"Glory?" Glory turned around just in time for the real Buffy to hit her in the face with Olaf's hammer. Glory flew across the room and crashed into a wall. Buffy looked down at the destroyed Buffy-bot, Willow had done a great job at reprogramming it and it had held its own against Glory far longer than she had expected.

"You're not the brightest god in the heavens, are you?" she said, returning her attention to Glory.

"Buffy! I'm up here!" came Dawns voice. Buffy looked up to the top of the tower were she could just about make out her sister on the platform. "Buffy!" cried Dawn again. Buffy ran past Glory and headed directly for the tower stairs. Her way was blocked by a minion but she simply punched him then threw him over the railings. Glory pulled herself up from where he had fallen and looked over to Buffy.

"Oh no you don't!" she said through gritted teeth. Glory moved with blurring speed, arriving in front of Buffy, who was now half way up the tower. Glory pulled her arm back to punch Buffy but before she could strike a bright orange light shot past Buffy's head and hit Glory in the chest. The light exploded into a wall of fire that enveloped Glory and threw both her and Buff from the tower.

Glory slammed into the floor, the impact making the concrete crack around her causing it resembled a spiders web. Buffy had expected to hit the solid concrete floor as well but she landed on something considerably softer. Realising that she had landed on a person Buffy assumed that it was one of Glory's minions so she rolled over to grab Olaf's hammer, which had fallen and landed right next to her. She raised the hammer ready to strike.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold your fire!" said Nameless, raising his hands in mock surrender. Buffy lowered the hammer and extended a hand to help Nameless up.

"You took your sweet time." said Buffy jokingly.

"Sorry honey but traffic was bloody murder." he held out the front of his shirt which now had a diagonal slash running across it.

"Buffy!" They were interrupted by another yell from Dawn. Both looked up then at Glory who was starting to get up again.

"You save Dawn, I hurt Glory." said Nameless. Buffy looked from Glory to dawn then back to Nameless. Then she handed him the hammer.

"Take her apart." Buffy ran off towards the stairs more determined than ever to save her sister.

"Ooooooooh with pleasure" said Nameless, readying the hammer and advancing on Glory.


	10. The Gift

Up on top of the tower Dawn was struggling desperately to free herself from her restraints. She was beginning to give up on making it off the tower alive, then she saw Doc standing a few feet in front of her on the platform.

"You. You can help me. Untie me. Please. Help me, she's coming." Dawn pleaded, hoping her prayers had been answered. Doc took a few steps forward.

"Well, it seems she's running a bit late, is the thing. And, uh, if her Splendidness can't be here in time to bleed you..." Dawns face fell as she realised that he was not here to save her.

"Hey!" said Doc "Kid. Wanna see a trick?" Doc produced a large shiny knife from inside his sleeve. Dawn cringed at the sight of the weapon and tried desperately to free her arms.

"Get away from her!" yelled Buffy. Doc spun round to see Buffy standing at the edge of the stairway leading to the platform.

"This should be interesting" said Doc, twirling the knife in his hand.

Back on the ground Glory had gotten up from her fall and was now dusting herself off.

"Wow, that was fun but now I'm done playing nice sla-" She paused mid sentence. She had expected to see Buffy advancing on her but instead it was the boy from the magic shop, Nameless. "Well, well look who finally showed up. I was beginning to think you'd chickened out and skipped town."

"I'm not afraid of you Glory, and I seem to recall beating your arse into the ground once before."

"You caught a lucky shot." said Glory dismissively "this time I'm going to crush you and your friends."

"I don't think so Glory..." Nameless cleared his throat "...you don't know the power of the dark side." Nameless jammed out his free hand and blasted Glory with a bolt of lightning that made her fall to her knees in pain. Before she could recover he brought the hammer smashing up into Glory's face sending her backwards into a wall.

"Oh yeah" he beamed triumphantly "this beats Skyrim by miles." Glory staggered back up. Nameless put down Olaf's hammer and simply stood there.

"No hammer, what are you going to hit me with now?" said Glory in her usual arrogant tone.

"Well you're about to find out in three...two..." At that moment a huge wreaking ball smashed through the wall on her left, knocking her through the opposite wall. "One, zero." finished Nameless. He ran forward to look through the hole the ball had made. Through it he saw Xander sitting in the crane that operated the ball. Nameless gave him an appreciative thumbs up then turned back to survey the battle.

"The glorified brick layer picks up a spare." said Xander to no one in particular. Xander got out of the cranes cab and ran round to where the other scoobies were crouched behind a makeshift barricade. Opposite them at the base of the stairs were the remaining minions and crazies throwing everything they could get their hands on at the scoobies.

"How we doing?" asked Xander.

"So far it's a tie." replied Anya.

"Buffy managed to get through a few seconds ago. One way or another this will all be over soon." said Giles, looking up at the tower.

"I just saw Nameless fighting Glory, where is he now?" asked Xander.

"If he is here its news to me." said Spike.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" came a yell from somewhere. A bright orange ball rocketed over from the scoobies left and exploded in the centre of the minions and crazies sending them flying in all directions. The scoobies looked left and saw Nameless jumping up and down and punching the air. Spike was the first to take the initiative, he jumped over the barricade and started attacking Glory's servants before they could regain their senses.

"Well, what are you lot waiting for, Christmas? Beat the crap out of 'em!" yelled Spike. The others rushed out to join Spike in finishing off the enemy, Nameless was about to join in to when he spotted Doc up on the platform.

"Oh no you don't" he whispered to himself, aiming a dark bolt at Doc. He was interrupted by Glory who grabbed his arm then threw him across the floor.

"I've finally had enough of you." spat Glory advancing on Nameless, who disappeared in a speed flash. Glory looked around trying to locate her quarry. She didn't have to wait long. Nameless reappeared in front of her, bringing Olaf's hammer smashing into Glory's face. She staggered back, blood trickling from her nose.

"I was going to make this quick Glory." said Nameless in a low menacing voice "but now, humph...I'm going to make you suffer."

"This should be interesting" said Doc, twirling the knife in his hand. Suddenly a ball of darkness streaked passed Doc's face.

"ARRRGH MY EYES!" screamed Doc, who now had a long, jagged scar where his eyes used to be.

Buffy recognised it as the same power Nameless used, she looked down for a second to see Nameless fighting Glory on the ground below. The dark bolt that Glory interrupted had fired but had missed its mark slightly. It hadn't hit Doc directly but it had still blinded him. He was now clasping one hand over his face, the other hand, the one with the knife, was flailing wildly. Buffy ran forward to stop Doc from hurting Dawn. Too late. One of Doc's slashes caught Dawn across the stomach. Dawn gasped and the cold metal went through her skin and warm blood stated to flow out.

Buffy ran over to Dawn, knocking Doc off the tower in the process. He gave a long echoing scream as he fell which cut off abruptly.

"Buffy, it hurts" sobbed Dawn. Buffy broke her sisters restraints then started to lead her away from the platforms edge.

"I got it. Come here. You're gonna be okay." said Buffy. Some of Dawn's blood dripped off the tower and met something in mid air. A small circle of light appeared as the portal began to open.

Nameless avoided one of Glory's punches then hit her with the hammer again, forcing her to her knees. She looked up at Nameless, Glory was on the verge of tears, her face was covered in blood and she was gasping for breath.

"Stop it" she pleaded. Nameless hit her again forcing her onto her back.

"You're a god right? Make me stop." he brought the hammer down on Glory's face over and over again until she morphed into Ben.

"Hey Benji." said Nameless, dropping the hammer.

"I'm sorry." said Ben, then he coughed up some blood. "Looks like I made the wrong decision after all."

"You had your chance." Nameless's clenched his fists for a moment then relaxed. "I want you and Glory gone. She's finished, it's over. If either of you come back here..."

"We won't. I swear." Nameless marched off to help the scoobies finish the minions.

"You'll have to kill him you know." said the First. Nameless groaned, he'd hoped the First had gone for good but it seemed determined to annoy him.

"Don't you have a home to go back to? And no I don't have to kill Ben."

"If you let him live Glory will come back for revenge." the First gave Nameless an unnaturally wide smile. "You have to kill him."

"You don't get it. I don't have to kill him because that problem will take care of itself."

Giles had quietly slipped away from the battle and was now kneeling next to Ben.

"Can you move?" he asked.

"Need a ... a minute. He could've killed me." said Ben, with some effort.

"No, I don't think he could. But sooner or later Glory will re-emerge and make Nameless pay for his mercy. He probably knows that and still he couldn't take another human life." Giles reached into his pocket and pulled out his spectacles, carefully putting them on. "He's a lot like Buffy in some respects...she's a hero and Nameless tries to be one. They're not like us."

"Us?" asked Ben, puzzled by Giles choice of words. His meaning became clear when Giles clamped his hand over Bens nose and mouth. Ben struggled for a while then became still.

Spike was about to start fighting two minions at once when Nameless charged in and knocked one to the ground. Spike took advantage of the other minions confusion and punched him in the face. Nameless got up and kicked his minion in the groin, the minion gave a low groan of pain then Nameless punched him so hard he went unconscious.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence" said Spike sarcastically. The other scoobies started to gather round. They looked tired and bloody but for the most part they were ok.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner, ran into some trouble on the way...does anyone else hear a crackling sound?" Everyone looked up in time to see the portal starting to open.

"Dawn" said Joyce, full of concern.

"Oh snap." said Nameless "I was hoping to avoid this...guess I have to go to plan B."

"What's plan B?" asked Willow. Nameless bit his lower lip, deciding if it was a good idea to let them in on his plan.

"That portal won't close until someone dies." He stated.

"Forget it" said Spike, grabbing Giles sword and pointing it towards Nameless. "You're not going up there and you're not hurting Dawn, got that?"

"Sorry guys" Nameless lifted his left arm so his hand was by his shoulder. "But I have to do this." Nameless swept his hand across in and arc creating a powerful gust of wind that sent the scoobies tumbling back. He turned and ran up the stairs, Spike and the others got to their feet and attempted to follow but then the portal expanded violently. The ground started shaking and the whole building started coming apart. A large metal girder fell in front of the stairs, blocking access.

"Now what do we do?" yelled Xander

"We wait" said Giles. Part of the roof collapsed raining debris down on the scoobies. "And try to stay alive."

Getting up the tower was proving to be more difficult then Nameless had thought. It wasn't just that reality was unravelling around him, it was having to put up with the First.

"So you've finally accepted the truth. To be honest I didn't think you had it in you. Out of interest how are you going to kill Dawn. Snap her neck? Push her off the tower?" the First sounded almost gleeful as it spoke. Nameless thought it had run out of ways to disgust him but the First had proven him wrong yet again.

"I'm not killing Dawn."

"Ah. So you figured it out. She and Buffy are the same. You're going to kill the slayer. Good luck with that."

"Wrong again."

The first was genuinely puzzled now. "Then what? Killing one of those two is the only way to close that portal."

"See, here's the thing deary. That portal is made of a mix of energy so what happens when a foreign, hostile energy is introduced?" Nameless waved his hand in front of the First, indicating the darkness playing around him. The First worked it out in its head. The boys plan could work.

"You could close the portal. Or you could make it grow faster."

"You clearly think it's a bad idea so I must be on the right track." Nameless continued his way up, with the First following behind.

"Are you really going to die for these people. Why throw away your life so recklessly?" hissed the First.

"Buffy's got more to live for than I do."

"And what about what you have to live for?"

"You said I was alone right? That means I won't be missed. You were right First. I don't have a destiny. I'm not a chosen one like Buffy. But that just means I can do what I want. Or what I need to do." Nameless paused for a moment.

"Do you want to know why you can't win?"

"Why?" asked the First, genuinely interested.

"Buffy has something that you don't. She has friends." The First looked at him for a moment then burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha...that's it *friends*. Oh this is rich. What next, she listens to her heart, love always triumphs?"

"You really shouldn't mock things you can't understand. Buffy's friends give her a connection to the world that few other Slayers have had. They give her a reason to keep fighting. You on the other hand are completely alone. The First and Only."

The First stopped smiling at that. "I don't need anyone. I'm the First. I'm the thing that darkness fears."

"Well I'm mostly darkness now and I don't fear you. Used to, I mean, the idea of an incarnation of all evil was pretty scary...when I was five. Now though, you just look so small." The First disappeared with a flash of white light like an old TV turning off.

"What. No witty comebacks?" asked Nameless. When there was no response he continued up the tower.

"I have to. Look at what's happening." Nameless recognised Dawns voice as he reached the end of the stairs. Buffy and Dawn were standing just inches away, sharing an anguished look.

"Hi honey what for dinner." said Nameless, trying to hide his growing fear with bad humour.

"Nameless, why are you...never mind. What happened to Glory?" asked Buffy

"Dead." said Nameless simply. Buffy was about to ask him how but a bolt from the portal tore open reality just above them. A large dragon like creature flew out of the bolt passing just above them. Nameless ducked out of reflex but the dragon passed by harmlessly.

"Arsehole, learn how to fly!" Nameless yelled after the dragon.

Dawn turned to Buffy "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop." Buffy's anguished look deepened as she realised how hopeless the situation was. "You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood." continued Dawn tearfully. A look of realisation grew on Buffy's face. Nameless knew what was going through her head, she'd worked out that her blood could close the portal and she was going to sacrifice herself for her sister.

"Death is your gift." said Nameless. Dawn looked at him, confused then realisation struck.

"Buffy ... no!" she pleaded.

"Danwie, I have to." replied Buffy, conviction in her voice.

"Buffy" Nameless extended a hand "It's been an honour." Buffy took his hand and gave him a friendly smile. "Sorry honey." Buffy looked puzzled for a moment as she wondered what Nameless had to be sorry about. She got her answer when ice spread out from Nameless's hand and quickly enveloped her entire body. Buffy was still aware but unable to move. Nameless turned from her and placed his hands on Dawn's shoulders.

"Someone always had to die here."

Dawn closed her eyes, ready to die. Nameless grabbed her hand and gave her something. Dawn opened her eyes in surprise. Looking down she saw two brown envelops now resting in the palm of her hand. "Those are important, don't lose them. If they make a grave stone leave me a flower once in a while, kay." Nameless kissed Dawn full on the mouth then charged off down the platform, heading for the portals light, a smile never leaving his face. He'd fought the Slayer, beaten a god and kissed a pretty girl. Life didn't get much better than this. The First materialised on the platform in front of him, he couldn't resist sticking his tongue out at it before running right through the apparition. Nameless reached the end of the platform where he paused for a moment before jumping off.

He closed his eyes and was back on the stained glass platform with the large dark creature still looming over him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? I'm all yours.!" The creature raised one of its powerful arms then brought its fist down on him.

Nameless opened his eyes while falling through the air. As soon as he hit the portal he stopped holding the darkness back. It exploded all around him, intent on devouring all within its reach. Tendrils of darkness scythed through the portals energy, disrupting then destroying it. After a few moments there was only darkness left, surrounding Nameless, then it to disappeared. Nameless hovered in place for a moment then fell, crashing face up onto the floor below.

The scoobies on the ground made their way through the wreckage to where Nameless lay. Buffy and Dawn staggered down from the tower, holding each other up. Buffy still had a few ice crystals clinging to her cloths but they were melting fast. They all gathered round Nameless.

"Is he..." asked Dawn.

"Owwww" Nameless groaned. "OK, that hurt." Buffy burst out laughing.

"Your ok." said Xander amazed and relieved

"No Xander." Nameless turned his head so he could see the scoobies." I'm about as far from ok as you can get." everyone stopped smiling at that. A pool of darkness expanded from underneath Nameless until it was wide enough to encompass his entie body. Small black coils of darkness snaked up from Nameless as he started to fade.

"Nameless you're..." began Dawn in alarm.

"Fading. Yeah well that's what happens when you surrender your being to darkness." Buffy tried to grab hold of Nameless but her hand just past right through.

"There has to be something we can do" said Buffy, desperate not to lose anyone, not after all this "... Willow, Tara, one of you must know something a spell, or..."

"Buffy, there's nothing anyone can do." said Nameless, surprisingly calm all things considered. "Buffy, since I arrived in Sunnydale I've been strangled, knocked out, tied up, shot at, beaten up by a hell god and I wouldn't trade up a second of it." He was fading away faster now, only a few seconds left.

"What are these?" asked Dawn, holding up Nameless's letters.

"Road map" replied Nameless "You'll understand when you read them." Nameless looked directly at Buffy.

"The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it."

"Who said that?"

"You." Nameless disappeared completely leaving only the darkness which itself vanished quickly leaving the scoobies alone in the ruined building.


	11. Road Map

He was going to kill her. Warren was standing in front of the slayers house hiding a gun under his jacket. That little blond bitch had messed up his plans for the last time, now he would succeed where vampires, cyborgs and gods had failed. He was going to kill Buffy Summers.

"Hey, loser!" came a yell from nowhere. Warren spun round to see Xander standing behind him. He drew his gun and levelled it at Xander. "Wow, you've changed Warren. Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower."

"Shut up!" yelled Warren "You can't stop me, not when I'm this close."

"Me, noooo. Cops, on the other hand..." A police car tore round the street corner coming to a screeching halt a few feet from Warren. Two cops jumped out of the car, aiming their own guns at Warren.

"FREZZE!" yelled one.

"Drop the gun!" demanded the other. Warren faced off with the cops for a moment, weighing up his odds. One of the cops fired a warning shot. Warren dropped his gun. After a few moments he handcuffed and was manhandled into the car and driven off. Xander couldn't resist waving at him as he was driven away.

Buffy watched all this from an upstairs window. In one hand she held Nameless letter, his roadmap. She looked down at the unassuming piece of paper and read its opening for the hundredth time.

_Buffy. If you're reading this then I'm dead or I've left Sunnydale and I won't be coming back. These two letters are my road map to your future. Everything I know about every major event in your life for the next few years. With any luck you can stop these disasters before they happen. The other letter is for Angel and his team in LA. You two have given this world a lot. Now it's time someone gave you something back. As to how I know all these things...much like my name you'll never know. _

_Good luck honey_

_Nameless_

Nameless's letters had been invaluable. With them Buffy had stopped the trio, she'd saved Anya and Xander's wedding and now Tara was going to live with Warren out of the picture. Spike had snuck a peak at his future and had taken off to get his soul back early. He'd spent the past few months living in Buffy's basement, trying to come to terms with his new found remorse. It was going to be rough but she had a feeling Spike would pull through.

Her sister Dawn was currently out visiting Nameless's grave. Every now and then she went there and left a flower just like he had asked her to. The inscription on the grave read _Here lies Nameless. Devoted friend. "The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it". _Buffy half smiled at that. He had saved the world and all their lives and they'd never know his real name. Buffy put the letter back in its draw. Right now she had more immediate concerns, Anya was going to be furious with Xander for putting his life in danger like that. And not to forget that tonight is patrol night.

The First was also watching events unfold. It was frustrated. That boy had somehow disappeared to nowhere and that dam letter was giving the slayer and Angel a happily ever after. Something had to be done. Then it felt someone next to it.

"Wha...who the hell are you?" the newcomer wore a black coat that obscured their face.

"Hello First." said the stranger "I take it that the boys display has perked your interest in darkness?" the First was intrigued now.

"Who are you?" it asked again.

The newcomer pulled back his hood. He was young, in his late teens with light brown skin, bright yellow eyes and spiky silver hair. He looked directly at the First then answered "Xehanort."


	12. Epilogue

They had cornered the enemy. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with his kin, surrounding their target. The enemy was powerful, they could all feel it but they were many and he was just one. Rain was pouring down from the black sky above them. The street of this hollow heartless world was illuminated by light from the tall skyscrapers around them and silent neon signs.

The one they were closest to was the tallest. Memories skyscraper they called it. Their enemy was a man in a black cloak. He was different, wrong. They could feel it. Keybearer. The enemy drew his weapons. Two Keys one light one dark. The others recoiled. They all feared the Key. It was the only thing they feared. They had numbers, they could win. He twitched this antenna, picking up another heart. It was on top of the skyscraper. Didn't matter. The one on the ground was closer. He would go first. The others would follow him and they would win. They would extinguish the light in his newborn heart. He charged forward. For a moment he caught sight of the face under the black hood. Blond hair. He'd known someone with blond hair before. A girl. She knew another girl, a brunet. He remembered, he'd liked her. She was pretty. Then the memories were gone. Replaced once again by instinct. He lifted his arm ready to strike.

* * *

He stood on top of the tower, overlooking the small town below. The sun was setting on the horizon. It was always setting in this world. Something had happened to him and he'd become so lost. So alone. The organisation had found him. They had told him what he was. A Nobody. He felt nothing, he was nothing. He had no heart so he couldn't exist. He was a non-being. A Nobody. They were all Nobodies like him. The organisation and those that served them. They were conducting a great work that would restore them. Soon they would be whole again, but to make this happen there were tasks that had to be done. The Superior had given him a new name and purpose, sent him to this fake world. To find the one who had left. Number XIII. The Dusks were in the town looking for him. They would signal when they found him. He continued looking at the town. He'd looked down at a town like this before, or was it a city? There were people there he knew. Faces he couldn't put names to. A girl. He shook his head, dispelling the memories. Who he had been was irrelevant. Right now he was Twilight Thorn. One of the Dusks appeared down in the courtyard below.

"We found him" it not-said.

Thorn jumped down from the tower and followed the Dusk to his target. His orders were clear. Bring back Roxas, or destroy him. Nothing else matters


End file.
